Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019

# Background To date, no study has estimated the dollar value of DALYs lost from a wide range of diseases and conditions in South Africa. The specific objectives of this study were: (a) to estimate the dollar value of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in South Africa in 2019, and (b) to f...

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Main Authors: Flavia Senkubuge, Charles Hongoro, Joses Muthuri Kirigia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Society of Global Health 2021-08-01
Series:Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.52872/001c.26856
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author Flavia Senkubuge
Charles Hongoro
Joses Muthuri Kirigia
author_facet Flavia Senkubuge
Charles Hongoro
Joses Muthuri Kirigia
author_sort Flavia Senkubuge
collection DOAJ
description # Background To date, no study has estimated the dollar value of DALYs lost from a wide range of diseases and conditions in South Africa. The specific objectives of this study were: (a) to estimate the dollar value of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in South Africa in 2019, and (b) to forecast the reductions in the dollar value of DALY losses assuming the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) five disease-specific targets are attained by 2030. # Methods The study employs the human capital approach to convert the DALYs lost from all causes into their International Dollar (Int\$) equivalents. The DALYs data used in the analysis was from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Database, per capita GDP data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Database, and current health expenditure per person from the Global Health Expenditure Database of the World Health Organization (WHO). # Results South Africa lost 26.6 million DALYs in 2019 with a total value of Int\$ 313.5 billion and an average value of Int\$ 11,791.6 per DALY. Approximately Int\$ 155.6 billion (50%) was attributed to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNND); Int\$ 120.4 billion (38%) to non-communicable diseases (NCD); and Int\$ 37.4 billion (12%) to injuries (INJ). The health conditions related to SDG3 targets 3.1 (maternal mortality), 3.2 (neonatal mortality), 3.3 (CMNND), 3.4 (NCD) and 3.6 (INJ) resulted in DALY losses with a value of 256.4 billion, i.e. 82% of the total monetary value of DALYs lost in 2019. Therefore, achieving the five SDG targets would potentially save South Africa Int\$ 139.7 billion per year. # Conclusions Health development policy-makers should employ this type of evidence when making a case for increased investments into the national health-related systems to bridge the extant gap in the universal health service coverage index for South Africa.
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spelling doaj-art-529fc4bea143458fbbdd80731de556012025-08-20T03:45:24ZengInternational Society of Global HealthJournal of Global Health Economics and Policy2806-60732021-08-01110.52872/001c.26856Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019Flavia SenkubugeCharles HongoroJoses Muthuri Kirigia# Background To date, no study has estimated the dollar value of DALYs lost from a wide range of diseases and conditions in South Africa. The specific objectives of this study were: (a) to estimate the dollar value of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in South Africa in 2019, and (b) to forecast the reductions in the dollar value of DALY losses assuming the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG3) five disease-specific targets are attained by 2030. # Methods The study employs the human capital approach to convert the DALYs lost from all causes into their International Dollar (Int\$) equivalents. The DALYs data used in the analysis was from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Database, per capita GDP data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Database, and current health expenditure per person from the Global Health Expenditure Database of the World Health Organization (WHO). # Results South Africa lost 26.6 million DALYs in 2019 with a total value of Int\$ 313.5 billion and an average value of Int\$ 11,791.6 per DALY. Approximately Int\$ 155.6 billion (50%) was attributed to communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNND); Int\$ 120.4 billion (38%) to non-communicable diseases (NCD); and Int\$ 37.4 billion (12%) to injuries (INJ). The health conditions related to SDG3 targets 3.1 (maternal mortality), 3.2 (neonatal mortality), 3.3 (CMNND), 3.4 (NCD) and 3.6 (INJ) resulted in DALY losses with a value of 256.4 billion, i.e. 82% of the total monetary value of DALYs lost in 2019. Therefore, achieving the five SDG targets would potentially save South Africa Int\$ 139.7 billion per year. # Conclusions Health development policy-makers should employ this type of evidence when making a case for increased investments into the national health-related systems to bridge the extant gap in the universal health service coverage index for South Africa.https://doi.org/10.52872/001c.26856
spellingShingle Flavia Senkubuge
Charles Hongoro
Joses Muthuri Kirigia
Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
Journal of Global Health Economics and Policy
title Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
title_full Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
title_fullStr Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
title_full_unstemmed Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
title_short Dollar value of disability-adjusted life years in South Africa in 2019
title_sort dollar value of disability adjusted life years in south africa in 2019
url https://doi.org/10.52872/001c.26856
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AT charleshongoro dollarvalueofdisabilityadjustedlifeyearsinsouthafricain2019
AT josesmuthurikirigia dollarvalueofdisabilityadjustedlifeyearsinsouthafricain2019