DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years)

Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) are a measure used to estimate the overall burden of disease by combining years of life lost due to early death and years lived with disability or illness. Essentially, DALYs represent the total number of healthy years of life lost because of health problems, helping us understand how diseases and conditions impact populations. By accounting for both fatal and non-fatal health issues, DALYs provide a comprehensive view of a population’s health status and the importance of prevention and treatment efforts.