Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)

Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) are a measure used to estimate the total burden of disease on a population. They combine two things: the years lost due to early death (Years of Life Lost) and the years lived with illness or disability (Years Lived with Disability). Essentially, DALYs reflect the total number of healthy years of life lost because of disease or injury. This helps health experts understand how serious a health problem is and prioritize areas for intervention, aiming to reduce both premature death and suffering.