| The MAIN (Model for Assessing the Impact of Nutritional Interventions)
is a user-friendly system for the empirical estimation of the
DALYs framework. It is used to evaluate the potential benefits
and costs of developing the nutritional intervention to reduce
deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and/or zinc. The model was
developed in Visual Basic® for Applications (VBA), coded
in Microsoft® Excel 2000. It currently relies on three worksheets
and a combination of menus and submenus that allows the user
to easily and simply evaluate independently the potential impact
on human health of food consumption to have higher micronutrient
contents, which beta-carotene (precursors of vitamin A), iron,
or zinc.
The menus also have options for entering and correcting the
different parameters needed, such as populations in the age
groups of interest, mortality rates, prevalence, incidence
rates, duration and disability weights of temporary and permanent
disabilities, life expectancy, and discount rates. Other options
include the definition (or elimination) of scenarios for sensitivity
analysis, management of investments for developing new technology,
and calculation of economic indicators such as the internal
rate of return (IRR).
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