The Burden of Disease study uses methods developed originally for the Global
Burden of Disease study refined and adapted to the Victorian context. It
provides a comprehensive assessment of the amount of ill health in Victoria,
Australia, measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) arising from
most diseases and injuries.
The DALY is a measure of the disease burden in a population combining the loss
of years of life due to premature mortality and the loss of healthy years of
life due to disease or injury. One DALY can be thought of as one lost year of
healthy life. The DALY is a so-called health gap measure. This means that the
burden of disease is measured as the gap between the current health status of
the population and an ideal where everyone lives into old age; free of disease
or injury. The term disability is used quite broadly; in this sense; to
include all departures from complete health due to disease or injury.