Daly Approach to the Burden of Diseases in Odisha: Causes and Concerns

Abstract

This paper makes an attempt to estimate the burden of diseases at the local level, in the twin city of Odisha using the DALY approach. The DALY approach to quantify the Burden of Diseases (BOD) in a population is a summary measure of not only the loss of time due to premature mortality but also the disability caused non-fatal outcomes. On an average a person in the state was found to lose 46 months due to the burden of diseases. While the burden of communicable diseases was found to be low and declining, that of the non-communicable diseases was found to be increasing. High prevalence of CDs like TB, parasitic and vector borne diseases existing alongside the increasing burden of NCDs like cancer and CVDs puts a heavy burden on the healthcare cost in the state. This is due to the government's negligence of the rural healthcare sector and concentration of healthcare units in the urban areas. Re-emergence of some previously controlled CDs was also observed. Differences in the BODs were also found in terms of age, gender and income group of the population. The state should strengthen its primary healthcare to control outbreak of diseases and also to divert the overload of patients in the urban areas.