Concept of DALY Index and its Calculation in Estimating Disease Burden

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Head of Department of Implementation of Wastewater Projects/National Water and Wastewater Engineering Company

Abstract

Simultaneous with the change in the sequence and track of diseases, referred to as the "epidemiological transmission of illnesses", and for the aim of measuring early deaths and disabilities, the use of a common basis seems essential. Since the late 1940s, researchers have identified 'time' as a common criterion for measuring early deaths and disabilities, and based on that, the DALYs have been introduced. This index, which is used in economic assessments and calculation of health expenditures and functions, consists of two factors: "years of life that are lost due to premature death" and "years of life associated with a type of disability with specific intensity and duration ". The World Health Organization has used this index in developing its guidelines for the microbial, chemical and radioactivity quality of drinking water. In this paper, while presenting the basic concepts of DALYs, how it is calculated correctly in an effective cost estimate is presented in the form of an applied example.

Keywords

References

 
شادپور، پ.، (1377)، بار جهانی بیماری‌ها (خلاصه)، ترجمه، وزارت بهداشت، درمان و آموزش پزشکی/یونیسف.
Fewtrell, L., and Bartram, J., (2001), Water quality, guidelines, standards and health assessment of risk and risk management for water–related infectious disease, IWA & WHO.
Fox-Rushby, J.A., and Hanson, K., (2001), Calculating and presenting disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in cost effectiveness analysis, Oxford University Press.
Havelar, A.H., and Melse, J.M., (2003), Quantifying public health risk in the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality, A burden of disease approach, RIVM Report 734301022/2003.
Pruss–Ustun, A., Mathers, C., Corvalán, C., and Woodward, A., (2003), Introduction and methods: Assessing the environmental burden of disease at national and local levels, WHO, Geneva, Environmental Burden of Disease Series No. 10.
World Health Organization, (2003), Global burden of disease concept, WHO, Geneva, 27-40.
World Health Organization, (2008), Guidelines for drinking water quality, WHO, Geneva, 45-47.
World Health Organization, (2017), Guidelines for drinking water quality, Fourth Edition, Incorporating the First Addendum, WHO, Geneva, 37-38.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Journal of Water and Wastewater Science and Engineering
Volume 2, Issue 3
October 2017
Pages 14-20

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 15 July 2017
  • Revise Date: 03 December 2017
  • Accept Date: 13 February 2018

Share

How to cite

Statistics