Optimizing Facility Location Decisions Considering Health Impact on Local Population

Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) have been launched by the World Bank and backed by the World Health Organisation as a measure of the global burden of disease. 1 2...

Assessing Culturally Appropriate Food Choices: A Need for Hispanic Specific Food Choices as Illustrated by GIS Mapping

FRI0552 GLOBAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL BURDEN OF LOW BACK PAIN, 1990-2019: A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS FOR THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF DISEASE STUDY 2019

Are the steps that have been taken to arrest the spread of COVID-19 justifiable? Specifically, are they likely to have improved public health understood according to widely used aggregate population...

e16133 Background: Although the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer have decreased over the past decades due to the progress in diagnostic methods, treatment approaches and preventive measures, it still poses serious global health challenges particularly in the elderly population with significant disparities in the overall Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and mortality. This study evaluates gastric cancer related overall DALYs and mortality from 1990-2021 using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database. Methods: GBD data for 2021 were studied to evaluate overall DALYs and mortality rate per 100,000 population among 70 and above aged individuals. The Annual Average Percentage Change (AAPC) was calculated to assess trends from 1990 to 2021, and statistical significance assessed through p-values. Results: From 1990 to 2021, the overall DALYs rate for gastric cancer demonstrated a gradual decline. The DALYs rate per 100,000 decreased from 2656.08 in 1990 to 1511.71 in 2021. Similarly, the mortality rate declined from 166.11 per 100,000 in 1990 to 100.06 per 100,000 in 2021. The steepest declines in both DALYs and mortality rates occurred between 2004 and 2007, with annual percentage changes (APC) of -3.81% (95% CI: -4.023 to -3.531; p < 0.000001) and -3.41% (95% CI: -3.632 to -3.155; p = 0.0004), respectively. Across the entire study period (1990–2021), the average annual percentage change (AAPC) for DALYs was -1.80% (95% CI: -1.809 to -1.784; p < 0.000001), while for mortality rates, it was -1.63% (95% CI: -1.655 to -1.605; p < 0.000001). Conclusions: From 1990 to 2021, the burden of gastric cancer among individuals aged 70+ significantly declined, with a 43% reduction in DALYs and a 40% reduction in mortality rates. The sharpest declines occurred from 2004 to 2007. These trends highlight advancements in prevention and treatment but emphasize the need for continued efforts to address the burden in aging populations. YEARS DISABILITY-ADJUSTED LIFE YEARS (DALYS) PER 100,000 AAPC 1990-2021 MORTALITY RATE PER 100,000 AAPC 1990-2021 1990 2656.087 -1.8099 166.112 -1.6321 2000 2289.126 143.314 2010 1891.584 122.648 2021 1511.719 100.060

This study is aimed to estimate the epidemiological burden of dengue in Odisha, India using the disability adjusted life year (DALY) methods and to explore the associated factors in the year 2010–2016. During the period of 2010–2016, 27 772 cases (68.4% male) were reported in the state. Mean age (years) of male and female was 31.63 and 33.82, respectively. Mean district wise disability adjusted life years (DALY) per 100 000 people was higher in the year 2016 (0.45) and mean DALY lost per person was highest in the year 2015 (34.90 years). Adjusted regression model indicates, every unit increase in humidity and population density increases DALY by 1.05 and 1.02 units respectively. Whereas, unit change in sex ratio (females per 1000 males) and forest coverage increases the DALY by 0.98 units. Our results indicate geographical variation of DALY in Odisha, which is associated with population density, humidity and forest cover. Discrepancies identified between standard incidence and DALY maps suggests, latter can be used to present disease burden more effectively. More prevalence among young males suggests the need of strengthening the targeted prevention and control measures.

Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) are the sum of the present value of future years of lifetime lost through premature mortality, and the present value of years of future lifetime adjusted for the average severity (frequency and intensity) of any mental or physical disability caused by a disease or injury. They have been used as an outcome indicator in micro economic evaluations as well as sectoral prioritization exercises using league tables of cost-effectiveness. However, many of the current analyses are not comparable or transferable because either the assumptions used differ or are unclear, and because results are not presented in a way that allows researchers or policy-makers to re-calculate and re-interpret findings for use in an alternative context. However, at times there have also been miscalculations. This may happen either because evaluators disagree with the assumptions behind DALYs or because the methods of calculation have not been set out clearly. This paper shows how to calculate DALYs for cost-effectiveness analysis using a worked example. It also shows the impact of changing the age weighting and discount rates on estimates of cost-effectiveness, and suggests a set of minimum reporting criteria for using DALYs in cost-effectiveness analysis. Finally, readers are introduced briefly to a selected literature arguing for and against the use of DALYs.

BackgroundFoodborne diseases are globally important, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. Parasitic diseases often result in high burdens of disease in low and middle income countries and are frequently transmitted to humans via contaminated food. This study presents the first estimates of the global and regional human disease burden of 10 helminth diseases and toxoplasmosis that may be attributed to contaminated food.Methods and FindingsData were abstracted from 16 systematic reviews or similar studies published between 2010 and 2015; from 5 disease data bases accessed in 2015; and from 79 reports, 73 of which have been published since 2000, 4 published between 1995 and 2000 and 2 published in 1986 and 1981. These included reports from national surveillance systems, journal articles, and national estimates of foodborne diseases. These data were used to estimate the number of infections, sequelae, deaths, and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), by age and region for 2010. These parasitic diseases, resulted in 48.4 million cases (95% Uncertainty intervals [UI] of 43.4–79.0 million) and 59,724 (95% UI 48,017–83,616) deaths annually resulting in 8.78 million (95% UI 7.62–12.51 million) DALYs. We estimated that 48% (95% UI 38%-56%) of cases of these parasitic diseases were foodborne, resulting in 76% (95% UI 65%-81%) of the DALYs attributable to these diseases. Overall, foodborne parasitic disease, excluding enteric protozoa, caused an estimated 23.2 million (95% UI 18.2–38.1 million) cases and 45,927 (95% UI 34,763–59,933) deaths annually resulting in an estimated 6.64 million (95% UI 5.61–8.41 million) DALYs. Foodborne Ascaris infection (12.3 million cases, 95% UI 8.29–22.0 million) and foodborne toxoplasmosis (10.3 million cases, 95% UI 7.40–14.9 million) were the most common foodborne parasitic diseases. Human cysticercosis with 2.78 million DALYs (95% UI 2.14–3.61 million), foodborne trematodosis with 2.02 million DALYs (95% UI 1.65–2.48 million) and foodborne toxoplasmosis with 825,000 DALYs (95% UI 561,000–1.26 million) resulted in the highest burdens in terms of DALYs, mainly due to years lived with disability. Foodborne enteric protozoa, reported elsewhere, resulted in an additional 67.2 million illnesses or 492,000 DALYs. Major limitations of our study include often substantial data gaps that had to be filled by imputation and suffer from the uncertainties that surround such models. Due to resource limitations it was also not possible to consider all potentially foodborne parasites (for example Trypanosoma cruzi).ConclusionsParasites are frequently transmitted to humans through contaminated food. These estimates represent an important step forward in understanding the impact of foodborne diseases globally and regionally. The disease burden due to most foodborne parasites is highly focal and results in significant morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations.

Microbial pathogens in urban floodwaters pose risks to human health, potentially causing diseases such as diarrhea. However, the disease burden related to urban traffic exposure from citizens passing through floodwaters is not easily quantified and therefore not included in many studies. Notably, this problem has received little attention in low‐to‐middle‐income countries, with frequent flood events and the heavy diarrheal disease burden. This article calculates the infection risks and disease burden, considering traffic associated with exposure to floodwater contaminated with rotavirus for the first time in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho city. Can Tho city in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is well known to have many flood events every year, with many diarrheal cases during the flood season. The methodology comprises two steps. First, we applied quantitative microbial risk assessment that proposes the inclusion of exposure to traffic due to rotavirus in floodwater. Second, the disease burden was expressed in disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs). The exposed groups are child pedestrians, adult pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists. We used video footage to monitor the traffic. The results show that total DALYs per flood event were 1.35 × 104 for 63,390 exposed people (i.e., 2129 DALYs per 10,000 cases). Motorcyclists are the strongest contributors to the DALYs (95%), followed by cyclists (2.8%), adult pedestrians (2%), and child pedestrians (0.2%). The population in Ninh Kieu District may suffer from waterborne diseases through traffic activities during flooding times. Our approach can be applied in other areas worldwide and helps identify main risk groups and focus areas for interventions.

This paper uses the Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) to estimate disease burden at a local level and relates this to programme budget (PB) data. We estimated DALY using the global burden of disease (GBD) template. For years of life lost, local mortality data were used and for years of life with disability, the GBD estimates from World Health Organization EURO A region (including the UK) were used. We used PB data to analyse how healthcare expenditure matched disease burden. In 2005 the burden of disease in Lambeth was estimated at 36,368 DALYs (13,515 DALYs lost per 100,000) and in Southwark was 34,196 DALYs (13,244 DALYs lost per 100,000). There were gender and area differences. The ranking is different when mortality and morbidity are combined compared with mortality alone. We estimated that the average spend per DALY lost in 2005 was 11,066 pounds in Lambeth and 9390 pounds in Southwark. We used a pragmatic approach to estimate overall disease burden providing a local, more comprehensive picture with important differences in spend by disease and health authority area. However, a more detailed approach to support decisions about prioritization based on modelling interventions that impact on avoidable burden of disease is recommended.

Underestimation of zoonoses is exacerbated in low and middle-income countries due mainly to inequalities with serious consequences in healthcare. This is difficult to gauge and reduce the impact of those diseases. Our study focuses on Paraguay, where the livestock industry is one of the major components of the country's economy. Therefore, the rationale of this study was to develop a case study in Paraguay to estimate the dual impact of zoonotic diseases on both the human health and animal health sector and thus determine the societal burden of such diseases. We conducted a systemic review (including a meta-analysis) to assess the burden of zoonoses in Paraguay, including official reports and grey literature of disease incidence and prevalence. We estimated the Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and Zoonosis Disability Adjusted Life Years (zDALYs) to measure the difference between the current health status and the desired health situation of animals and the Paraguayan population based on 50 zoonotic diseases suggested by the WHO (World Health Organization), OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) and the National Health in Paraguay. The total DALYs represent 19,384 (95% CI: from 15,805 to 29,733), and zDALYs, 62,178 (95% CI: from 48,696 to 77,188). According to the results, the priority pathogens for DALYs are E. coli, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp, and Toxoplasma gondii. When we include the additional animal health burden, the most important pathogens are Brucella spp, E. coli, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Fasciola hepatica for zDALYs. This is the first study to integrate DALYs and zDALYs with important clues related to the health status of Paraguay. Through DALYs and zDALYs, our perspective becomes more complete because we consider not only human health but also animal health. This is important for setting priorities in disease control, especially in a society where livestock contribute significantly to the economy and to human well-being.

The burden of human diseases in populations, or for an individual, is frequently estimated in terms of one of a number of Health Adjusted Life Years (HALYs). The Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is a widely accepted HALY metric and is used by the World Health Organization and the Global Burden of Disease studies. Many human diseases are of animal origin and often cause ill health and production losses in domestic animals. The economic losses due to disease in animals are usually estimated in monetary terms. The monetary impact on animal health is not compatible with HALY approaches used to measure the impact on human health. To estimate the societal burden of zoonotic diseases that have substantial human and animal disease burden we propose methodology which can be accommodated within the DALY framework. Monetary losses due to the animal disease component of a zoonotic disease can be converted to an equivalent metric using a local gross national income per capita deflator. This essentially gives animal production losses a time trade-off for human life years. This is the time required to earn the income needed to replace that financial loss. This can then be assigned a DALY equivalent, termed animal loss equivalents (ALE), and added to the DALY associated with human ill health to give a modified DALY. This is referred to as the “zDALY”. ALEs could also be estimated using willingness-to-pay for animal health or survey tools to estimate the replacement time value for animals with high societal or emotional value (for example pets) that cannot be calculated directly using monetary worth. Thus the zDALY estimates the impact of a zoonotic disease to animal and human health. The losses due to the animal disease component of the modified DALY are straightforward to calculate. A number of worked examples such as echinococcosis, brucellosis, Q fever and cysticercosis from a diverse spectrum of countries with different levels of economic development illustrate the use of the zDALY indicator.

IntroductionAcademic health centers (AHCs) play critical roles in population health by providing health care, conducting population health research, and providing population health training and education. This publication describes an interactive, multipart, case-based session targeted at AHC executives, faculty, and administrators about population health initiatives at AHCs and how the AHC structure can be leveraged to promote population health.MethodsThis 90-minute virtual session was conducted during the Association of Academic Health Centers’ 2020 annual meeting. The session opened with 5-minute, Ignite-style presentations showcasing population health innovations. Next, in small groups, participants discussed a case introducing a fictional AHC charged with assisting its local government's population health efforts. Participants self-selected into one of four small groups (analytics, education and training, community engagement, and implementation) and were provided additional case content and tailored prompts. In the large group, participants debriefed their discussions. Participants completed a postsession survey.ResultsForty-six individuals from 31 AHCs participated. Eighteen participants completed the survey. Sixteen respondents (89%) agreed the session was valuable and provided ideas for implementation at their AHC. Fifteen participants (83%) indicated that they planned to follow up with their colleagues regarding how to leverage the AHC structure to improve population health.DiscussionThis session provides an interactive forum to discuss population health in the context of an AHC and examine how its structure can facilitate population health. While offered at a conference, the session can also be implemented at a single AHC to foster local understanding of population health and inform future initiatives.

Living longer with a greater health burden--changes in the burden of disease and injury in the Northern Territory Indigenous population between 1994-1998 and 1999-2003.

SummaryBackgroundMeasurement of changes in health across locations is useful to compare and contrast changing epidemiological patterns against health system performance and identify specific needs for resource allocation in research, policy development, and programme decision making. Using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016, we drew from two widely used summary measures to monitor such changes in population health: disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE). We used these measures to track trends and benchmark progress compared with expected trends on the basis of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI).MethodsWe used results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 for all-cause mortality, cause-specific mortality, and non-fatal disease burden to derive HALE and DALYs by sex for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. We calculated DALYs by summing years of life lost and years of life lived with disability for each location, age group, sex, and year. We estimated HALE using age-specific death rates and years of life lived with disability per capita. We explored how DALYs and HALE differed from expected trends when compared with the SDI: the geometric mean of income per person, educational attainment in the population older than age 15 years, and total fertility rate.FindingsThe highest globally observed HALE at birth for both women and men was in Singapore, at 75·2 years (95% uncertainty interval 71·9–78·6) for females and 72·0 years (68·8–75·1) for males. The lowest for females was in the Central African Republic (45·6 years [42·0–49·5]) and for males was in Lesotho (41·5 years [39·0–44·0]). From 1990 to 2016, global HALE increased by an average of 6·24 years (5·97–6·48) for both sexes combined. Global HALE increased by 6·04 years (5·74–6·27) for males and 6·49 years (6·08–6·77) for females, whereas HALE at age 65 years increased by 1·78 years (1·61–1·93) for males and 1·96 years (1·69–2·13) for females. Total global DALYs remained largely unchanged from 1990 to 2016 (–2·3% [–5·9 to 0·9]), with decreases in communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) disease DALYs offset by increased DALYs due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The exemplars, calculated as the five lowest ratios of observed to expected age-standardised DALY rates in 2016, were Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Maldives, Peru, and Israel. The leading three causes of DALYs globally were ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lower respiratory infections, comprising 16·1% of all DALYs. Total DALYs and age-standardised DALY rates due to most CMNN causes decreased from 1990 to 2016. Conversely, the total DALY burden rose for most NCDs; however, age-standardised DALY rates due to NCDs declined globally.InterpretationAt a global level, DALYs and HALE continue to show improvements. At the same time, we observe that many populations are facing growing functional health loss. Rising SDI was associated with increases in cumulative years of life lived with disability and decreases in CMNN DALYs offset by increased NCD DALYs. Relative compression of morbidity highlights the importance of continued health interventions, which has changed in most locations in pace with the gross domestic product per person, education, and family planning. The analysis of DALYs and HALE and their relationship to SDI represents a robust framework with which to benchmark location-specific health performance. Country-specific drivers of disease burden, particularly for causes with higher-than-expected DALYs, should inform health policies, health system improvement initiatives, targeted prevention efforts, and development assistance for health, including financial and research investments for all countries, regardless of their level of sociodemographic development. The presence of countries that substantially outperform others suggests the need for increased scrutiny for proven examples of best practices, which can help to extend gains, whereas the presence of underperforming countries suggests the need for devotion of extra attention to health systems that need more robust support.FundingBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.