Tuberculosis Disability Adjusted Life Years, Colombia 2010-2018.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Global Health

Background:

• Estimating disease burden is crucial for assessing population health and guiding tuberculosis control policies.
• Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating accurate burden estimation for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to Tuberculosis in Colombia from 2010 to 2018.
• To conduct an epidemiological risk stratification based on DALYs at the subnational level.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal descriptive study analyzed morbidity and mortality data from 110,475 cases and 8,514 deaths.
• Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLL), and years lived with disability (YLD) were calculated using World Health Organization methodology.
• Data were stratified by sex, age groups, and origin, with subnational DALY rates determined.

Main Results:

• The overall DALY rate was 684 per 100,000 inhabitants. Men accounted for 68.4% of DALYs, with a 2.21:1 ratio compared to women.
• Individuals aged 15–69 years (productive age) represented 56% of the total DALYs.
• Amazonas department exhibited the highest DALY rate (1857.1 per 100,000), and 51.5% of departmental entities were classified as high burden for TB.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comprehensive subnational assessment of the TB disease burden in Colombia using updated WHO methodology.
• Significant knowledge gaps and territorial disparities in TB burden exist, highlighting the need for context-specific policies.
• The findings underscore the necessity of targeted interventions to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities across Colombian territories.