Morbidities Calculation: Guidelines and Walkthrough

Morbidity is the experience of poor health or disease. Analyses of the health risks of air pollution often focus on early death, but the inclusion of morbidities provides a more comprehensive view and includes impacts experienced by more people. Although the estimated value of reducing risk of early death (expressed as the Value of a Statistical Life, or VSL) is often very high compared to the value placed on preventing morbidities [see figure 1], the inclusion of morbidities broadens the analysis and may engage specific interest groups, such as those involved in improving children’s health or helping asthma sufferers.