Measuring and valuing health: an international perspective

The institutionalized demand for cost-effectiveness evidence in low- and middle-income countries—where this sort of information is arguably even more urgently required—has yet to gain traction to the same extent that it has in various countries in the industrialized world. There are several important exceptions to this general observation, and these may signal a rising interest in undertaking and applying cost-effectiveness analysis (CEAs) in developing countries. The disability-adjusted life year (DALY) is an alternative to the QALY that has been favoured in much of the cost-effectiveness work in developing countries; and extends the discussions of key issues in the definition, description, and valuation of health to address some of the added considerations demanded by cross-cultural applications of the methods and tools that are the focus of this book.