scholarly journals Monitoring of non-communicable diseases in Belgium

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
B Devleesschauwer ◽  
L A Abboud ◽  
P Bogaert ◽  
A Cornez ◽  
L Raes ◽  
...  

Abstract Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for the highest share of deaths and burden of disease in Belgium. Nevertheless, there is currently no national plan to prevent and monitor the health impact of NCDs. Recently, two initiatives have been launched by Sciensano, the Belgian institute for health, providing new opportunities for monitoring NCDs in an integrated and comparable way - i.e., the Belgian Health Status Report (HSR) and the Belgian National Burden of Disease Study (BeBOD). The HSR, launched in February 2019, integrates health status information in a continuously updated website: www.healthybelgium.be. Key indicators, identified through literature and stakeholder consultations, highlight specific needs and warning signals. Currently, the HSR integrates self-reported information on NCD prevalence from the Belgian Health Interview Surveys, with objective information on cancer and diabetes from the Belgian Cancer Registry and health insurance data, respectively. Future versions will include a broadened scope with national best estimates for other NCD groups. The BeBOD study was launched in 2016, aiming to provide a first set of internally consistent burden estimates by 2020. BeBOD will complement the HSR by integrating information on morbidity and mortality of NCDs into a single measure of burden of disease - the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). DALYs quantify the number of healthy life years lost due to disease, and allow comparing the burden of fatal and non-fatal conditions. Annual updates of the BeBOD study will further provide unprecedented opportunities to monitor the impact of NCDs over time. In addition to the new opportunities provided by the HSR and BeBOD study, NCD monitoring requires continued investment in active data collection and integration of available data sources. In term, these NCD monitoring systems will provide a solid basis for evaluating the impact of NCD control policies. Key messages There is currently no national plan to prevent and monitor the health impact of non-communicable diseases in Belgium. The Belgian Health Status Report and the Belgian National Burden of Disease Study provide new opportunities for monitoring non-communicable diseases in an integrated and comparable way.

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Charalampous ◽  
Elena Pallari ◽  
Stefanos Tyrovolas ◽  
Nicos Middleton ◽  
Mary Economou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for over 90% of all deaths in the Cypriot population, in 2018. However, a detailed and comprehensive overview of the impact of NCDs on population health of Cyprus over the period of 1990 to 2017, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), is currently not available. Knowledge about the drivers of changes in NCD DALYs over time is paramount to identify priorities for the prevention of NCDs in Cyprus and guide evidence-based decision making. The objectives of this paper were to: 1) assess the burden of NCDs in terms of years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and DALYs in Cyprus in 2017, and 2) identify changes in the burden of NCDs in Cyprus over the 28-year period and assess the main drivers of these changes. Methods We performed a secondary database descriptive study using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 results on NCDs for Cyprus from 1990 to 2017. We calculated the percentage change of age-standardized DALY rates between 1990 and 2017 and decomposed these time trends to assess the causes of death and disability that were the main drivers of change. Results In Cyprus in 2017, 83% (15,129 DALYs per 100,000; 12,809 to 17,707 95%UI) of total DALYs were due to NCDs. The major contributors to NCD DALYs were cardiovascular diseases (16.5%), neoplasms (16.3%), and musculoskeletal disorders (15.6%). Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardized NCD DALY rates decreased by 23%. For both males and females, the largest decreases in DALY rates were observed in ischemic heart disease and stroke. For Cypriot males, the largest increases in DALY rates were observed for pancreatic cancer, drug use disorders, and acne vulgaris, whereas for Cypriot females these were for acne vulgaris, psoriasis and eating disorders. Conclusion Despite a decrease in the burden of NCDs over the period from 1990 to 2017, NCDs are still a major public health challenge. Implementation of interventions and early detection screening programmes of modifiable NCD risk factors are needed to reduce occurrence and exacerbation of leading causes of NCDs in the Cypriot population.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Gorasso ◽  
Geert Silversmit ◽  
Marc Arbyn ◽  
Astrid Cornez ◽  
Robby De Pauw ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The importance of assessing and monitoring the health status of a population has grown in the last decades. Consistent and high quality data on the morbidity and mortality impact of a disease represent the key element for this assessment. Being increasingly used in global and national burden of diseases (BoD) studies, the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is an indicator that combines healthy life years lost due to living with disease (Years Lived with Disability; YLD) and due to dying prematurely (Years of Life Lost; YLL). As a step towards a comprehensive national burden of disease study, this study aims to estimate the non-fatal burden of cancer in Belgium using national data. Methods We estimated the Belgian cancer burden from 2004 to 2018 in terms of YLD, using national population-based cancer registry data and international disease models. We developed a microsimulation model to translate incidence- into prevalence-based estimates, and used expert elicitation to integrate the long-term impact of increased disability due to surgical treatment. Results The age-standardized non-fatal burden of cancer increased from 2004 to 2018 by 6% and 2% respectively for incidence- and prevalence-based YLDs. In 2018, in Belgium, breast cancer had the highest morbidity impact among women, followed by colorectal and non-melanoma skin cancer. Among men, prostate cancer had the highest morbidity impact, followed by colorectal and non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 2004 and 2018, non-melanoma skin cancer significantly increased for both sexes in terms of age-standardized incidence-based YLD per 100,000, from 48 to 107 for men and from 15 to 37 for women. Important decreases were seen for colorectal cancer for both sexes in terms of age-standardized incidence-based YLD per 100,000, from 104 to 85 for men and from 52 to 46 for women. Conclusions Breast and prostate cancers represent the greatest proportion of cancer morbidity, while for both sexes the morbidity burden of skin cancer has shown an important increase from 2004 onwards. Integrating the current study in the Belgian national burden of disease study will allow monitoring of the burden of cancer over time, highlighting new trends and assessing the impact of public health policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Santos Felisbino-Mendes ◽  
Ewerton Cousin ◽  
Deborah Carvalho Malta ◽  
Ísis Eloah Machado ◽  
Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The prevalence and burden of disease resulting from obesity have increased worldwide. In Brazil, more than half of the population is now overweight. However, the impact of this growing risk factor on disease burden remains inexact. Using the 2017 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) results, this study sought to estimate mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost to non-communicable diseases caused by high body mass index (BMI) in both sexes and across age categories. This study also aimed to describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity throughout the states of Brazil. Methods Age-standardized prevalence of overweight and obesity were estimated between 1990 and 2017. A comparative risk assessment was applied to estimate DALYs and deaths for non-communicable diseases and for all causes linked to high BMI. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased during the period of analysis. Overall, age-standardized prevalence of obesity in Brazil was higher in females (29.8%) than in males (24.6%) in 2017; however, since 1990, males have presented greater rise in obesity (244.1%) than females (165.7%). Increases in prevalence burden were greatest in states from the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. Overall, burden due to high BMI also increased from 1990 to 2017. In 2017, high BMI was responsible for 12.3% (8.8–16.1%) of all deaths and 8.4% (6.3–10.7%) of total DALYs lost to non-communicable diseases, up from 7.2% (4.1–10.8%), and 4.6% (2.4-6.0%) in 1990, respectively. Change due to risk exposure is the leading contributor to the growth of BMI burden in Brazil. In 2017, high BMI was responsible for 165,954 deaths and 5,095,125 DALYs. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes have proven to be the most prevalent causes of deaths, along with DALYs caused by high BMI, regardless of sex or state. Conclusions This study demonstrates increasing age-standardized prevalence of obesity in all Brazilian states. High BMI plays an important role in disease burdens in terms of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and all causes of mortality. Assessing levels and trends in exposures to high BMI and the resulting disease burden highlights the current priority for primary prevention and public health action initiatives focused on obesity.


Author(s):  
Theo Vos ◽  
Alan Lopez ◽  
Christopher Murray

To make the best decisions to improve health, policymakers need reliable, up-to-date information on the major challenges facing their country. The Global Burden of Disease study facilitates this by providing comprehensive and scientifically rigorous estimates of the causes of death and illness across the globe. It examines a total of 79 risk factors and the amount of health loss attributable to each or combinations of them. Analysis over time reveals a shift from disease burden dominated by communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional causes to a burden increasingly made up of non-communicable diseases and injuries. By making comparisons between countries or subnational units like states or counties, the Global Burden of Disease can highlight areas of particular success or challenge, providing opportunities to examine what is working, or what is not.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Gorasso ◽  
Geert Silversmit ◽  
Marc Arbyn ◽  
Astrid Cornez ◽  
Robby De Pauw ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The importance of assessing and monitoring the health status of a population has grown in the last decades. Consistent and high quality data on the morbidity and mortality impact of a disease represent the key element for this assessment. Being increasingly used in global and national burden of diseases (BoD) studies, the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is an indicator that combines healthy life years lost due to living with disease (Years Lived with Disability; YLD) and due to dying prematurely (Years of Life Lost; YLL). As a step towards a comprehensive national burden of disease study, this study aims to estimate the non-fatal burden of cancer in Belgium using national data. Methods We estimated the Belgian cancer burden from 2004 to 2019 in terms of YLD, using national population-based cancer registry data and international disease models. We developed a microsimulation model to translate incidence- into prevalence-based estimates, and used expert elicitation to integrate the long-term impact of increased disability due to surgical treatment. Results The age-standardized non-fatal burden of cancer increased from 2004 to 2019 by 6 and 3% respectively for incidence- and prevalence-based YLDs. In 2019, in Belgium, breast cancer had the highest morbidity impact among women, followed by colorectal and non-melanoma skin cancer. Among men, prostate cancer had the highest morbidity impact, followed by colorectal and non-melanoma skin cancer. Between 2004 and 2019, non-melanoma skin cancer significantly increased for both sexes in terms of age-standardized incidence-based YLD per 100,000, from 49 to 111 for men and from 15 to 44 for women. Important decreases were seen for colorectal cancer for both sexes in terms of age-standardized incidence-based YLD per 100,000, from 105 to 84 for men and from 66 to 58 for women. Conclusions Breast and prostate cancers represent the greatest proportion of cancer morbidity, while for both sexes the morbidity burden of skin cancer has shown an important increase from 2004 onwards. Integrating the current study in the Belgian national burden of disease study will allow monitoring of the burden of cancer over time, highlighting new trends and assessing the impact of public health policies.


2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 229-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Francescutti ◽  
Sergio Mariotti ◽  
Giorgio Simon ◽  
Paola D'errigo ◽  
Rossella Di Bidino

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