The burden of disease attributable to the environment can be expressed as :
Number of deaths, Death rate, Number of DALYs, DALYs rate, Percentage of total deaths attributable to the environment, Percentage of total DALYs attributable to the environment
Disability -Adusted Life Years (or DALYs) are a summary measure of population health that combine (i) the years of life lost as a result of premature death and (ii) the years lived with a disease. Death and DALY rates are calculated by dividing the number of deaths, resp. DALYs, by the total population (or indicated if not, e.g. if a specific population group such as children under 5 years, is used). The percentages of deaths, resp. DALYs, attributable to the environment are obtained by dividing the number of attributable deaths, resp. DALYs, by the total number of deaths, resp. DALYs- As for the defnition of the modifiable environment, it inlcudes: • Air, soil & water pollution with chemicals or biological agents • Ultraviolet and ionizing radiation • Built environment • Noise, electromagnetic fields
• Occupational risks• Agricultural methods, irrigation schemes • Anthropogenic climate changes, ecosystem degradation • Individual behaviors related to the environment, such as hand-washing, food contamination with unsafe water or dirty hands.