Summary
This analysis quantifies the substantial selenium deficiency disease burden in Ethiopia—0.164 million DALYs among children and women, predominantly from anaemia—and evaluates the cost-effectiveness of selenium-enriched fertiliser application to staple cereals. Soil selenium fertilisation at 10 g/ha applied to maize, teff, or wheat is projected to avert 21–67% of DALYs at costs of US$99–226 per DALY, positioning it as a cost-effective public health intervention with precedent in Finland.
UK applicability
The findings are of limited direct applicability to UK cereal production, as selenium deficiency is not a significant public health burden in the UK due to historically adequate soil selenium and dietary diversity. However, the methodology and economic framework could inform discussions on micronutrient biofortification strategies in other deficient populations and inform UK agricultural development policy.
Key measures
Dietary selenium intake (µg/day), prevalence of inadequate intake (%), disease burden (DALYs), DALY attribution by disease (anaemia, goitre, cognitive dysfunction), cost per DALY averted (US$), and proportion of DALYs averted (%) by cereal type and fertiliser application scenario
Outcomes reported
The study quantified selenium deficiency burden (0.164 million DALYs) in Ethiopian children and women, and evaluated the cost-effectiveness of soil selenium fertilisation (at 10 g/ha) applied to maize, teff, and wheat. It estimated the proportion of DALYs averted under optimistic and pessimistic scenarios and calculated costs per DALY averted for each cereal.
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