title: The cost-effectiveness of life-saving interventions in Japan. Do chemical regulations cost too much?
abstract: This paper compares the cost-effectiveness of life-saving interventions in Japan, based on information collected from the health, safety and environmental literature. More than 50 life-saving interventions are analyzed. Cost-effectiveness is defined as the cost per life-year saved or as the cost per quality-adjusted life-year saved. Finding a large cost-effectiveness disparity between chemical controls and health care intervention, we raise the question of whether chemical regulations cost society too much. We point out the limitations of this study and propose a way to improve the incorporation of morbidity effects in cost-effectiveness analysis.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Chemical Risk Management, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, AIST West, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan. kishimoto-atsuo@aist.go.jp
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Tosihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004777:Environment; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009017:Morbidity; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012449:Safety; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000191:economics / Q000506:poisoning
chemical_list: D015262:Xenobiotics