Journal of Environmental Health Sciences (한국환경보건학회지)

Korean Society of Environmental Health (한국환경보건학회)
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Evaluation of Health Benefit from the Environmental Health Action Program Based on the Environmental Burden of Disease

환경성 질병부담을 활용한 생활공감 환경보건기술개발사업 건강 편익 평가 및 제언

  • Choi, Yongsoo (Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School, Korea University) ;
  • Byun, Garam (Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University) ;
  • Lee, Jong-Tae (Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School, Korea University)
  • 최용수 (고려대학교 일반대학원 보건과학과) ;
  • 변가람 (고려대학교 정밀보건과학융합전공) ;
  • 이종태 (고려대학교 일반대학원 보건과학과)
  • Received : 2022.03.16
  • Accepted : 2022.04.19
  • Published : 2022.04.30
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Abstract

Background: The Environmental Health Action Program was a national project carried out from 2012~2021. It was aimed at developing public technologies to protect people's health from various environmental hazards. Objectives: One of the final goals of the project was "creating health benefits worth more than 179.2 billion won by reducing the environmental burden of disease." This study aims to evaluate whether the program sufficiently achieved the planned benefits. Methods: In order to secure consistency in evaluation, we applied the same equation used in the goal-setting process. It is comprised of six parameters to estimate the benefit: 1. The amount of medical expenses for environmental diseases; 2. The attributable proportion of environmental risk factors' 3. The rate of reduction in medical expenses for environmental diseases; 4. R&D project contribution; 5. The proportion of successful policy reflection; and 6. The contributions of the project. The corresponding variables were estimated at the end of the project, and the health benefits of the project were recalculated using the newly estimated variables. Results: It was estimated that a total of 195 billion won in health benefits occurred or will occur from 2015 to 2026. The main contributors for achieving the target were an increase in medical expenses for environmental diseases, a high score in the R&D project contribution, and the proportion of successful policy reflection. Conclusions: Technically, the equation used in the project is about medical expenses for environmental diseases rather than about the environmental burden of disease. There are several benefits of using the environmental burden of disease in the evaluation of public health policies. In further studies, developing a policy evaluation framework using indicators such as population attributable fraction would be needed.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

본 연구는 2020년도 한국환경산업기술원 지원으로 수행된 "환경보건R&D 사업효과 분석 및 경제성 측정·평가체계 마련 연구"과제의 연구결과 일부입니다.

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