Exploratory analysis of the suitability of data from the civil registration system for estimating excess mortality due to COVID-19 in Faridabad district of India

Background & objectives: Due to shortcomings in death registration and medical certification, the excess death approach is recommended for COVID-19 mortality burden estimation. In this study the data from the civil registration system (CRS) from one district in India was explored for its suitability in the estimation of excess deaths, both directly and indirectly attributable to COVID-19. Methods: All deaths registered on the CRS portal at the selected registrar’s office of Faridabad district in Haryana between January 2016 and September 2021 were included. The deaths registered in 2020 and 2021 were compared to previous years (2016-2019), and excess mortality in both years was estimated by gender and age groups as the difference between the registered deaths and historical average month wise during 2016-2019 using three approaches – mean and 95 per cent confidence interval, FORECAST.ETS function in Microsoft Excel and linear regression. To assess the completeness of registration in the district, 150 deaths were sampled from crematoria and graveyards during 2020 and checked for registration in the CRS portal. Agreement in the cause of death (CoD) in CRS with the International Classification of Diseases-10 codes assigned for a subset of 585 deaths after verbal autopsy was calculated. Results: A total of 7017 deaths were registered in 2020, whereas 6792 deaths were registered till 30 September 2021 which represent a 9 and 44 per cent increase, respectively, from the historical average for that period. The highest increase was seen in the age group >60 yr (19% in 2020 and 56% in 2021). All deaths identified in crematoria and graveyards in 2020 had been registered. Observed peaks of all-cause excess deaths corresponded temporally and in magnitude to infection surges in the district. All three approaches gave overlapping estimates of the ratio of excess mortality to reported COVID-19 deaths of 1.8-4 in 2020 and 10.9-13.9 in 2021. There was poor agreement (?<0.4) between CoD in CRS and that assigned after physician review for most causes, except tuberculosis and injuries. Interpretation & conclusions: CRS data, despite the limitations, appeared to be appropriate for all-cause excess mortality estimation by age and sex but not by cause. There was an increase in death registration in 2020 and 2021 in the district.

A cross sectional study to ascertain various causes of neonatal mortality using verbal autopsy in Etawah district

Background: Neonatal death is defined as no. of deaths during the first 28 completed days of life per 1000 live births in a given year or period. Around 2.6 million deaths or roughly 46% of all under five deaths had occurred during this period in 2016 which means that 7000 newborn deaths occur each day. Most of the neonatal deaths occur on the first day and week accounting to about 1 million dying on the 1st day. Objective of this study was to ascertain various causes of neonatal mortality using verbal autopsy in Etawah district.Methods: The present study was a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out for a period of 1 year (July 17 to June 2018) using WHO verbal autopsy questionnaire by finding out the study subjects from medical information system of UPUMS, Saifai and district hospital, Etawah. A total of 89 neonatal deaths were found out of which 87 were interviewed by going to their residences to get the relevant information regarding the causes of deaths.Results: Most common cause of neonatal mortality came out to be low birth weight with prematurity 44 of 87 (50.6%), followed by birth asphyxia 23 of 87 (26.4%) and sepsis 8 of 87 (9.2%).Conclusions: Effective interventions should be incorporated into policy decisions to reduce neonatal mortality due to these causes.

A (in)visibilidade do acidente de trabalho fatal entre as causas externas: estudo qualitativo / The (in)visibility of the fatal work-related injury as an external cause of accidents: a qualitative study

Objetivo descrever o trabalho das vítimas dos acidentes fatais e as circunstâncias desses óbitos relacionados com o trabalho ocorridos em 2004, em Salvador, Bahia. Métodos coleta de dados realizada através de questões semiabertas obtidas em entrevista domiciliar com os familiares das vítimas, por meio da autópsia verbal (AV). A análise de conteúdo foi empregada na análise das narrativas. A reconstituição dos 91 acidentes de trabalho (AT) é apresentada em duas seções temáticas: a caracterização do trabalho do acidentado e a circunstância da morte. Resultados evidenciou-se a presença marcante do trabalho precário mesmo entre aqueles com vínculo formal, mas essas condições são especialmente flagrantes entre aqueles não regulamentados. A extensão da jornada de trabalho não decorreu de livre escolha, mas de estratégia para auferir a renda mínima necessária. O espaço da rua emergiu como local de AT típico não apenas de AT de trajeto. A morte no trânsito e sua relação com o trabalho, fenômeno ainda pouco explorado, foi evidenciada, além da identificação de homicídio como circunstância de morte decorrente do trabalho precário. Conclusões a prevenção da morte e da violência no trabalho requer uma ação integrada das políticas setoriais. A autópsia verbal mostrou-se técnica promissora na produção de informações sobre as causas dos AT, podendo contribuir para a superação da subnotificação. .

Objective to describe the fatal accident victims’ work and the circumstances of work-related deaths in Salvador, Bahia state, Brazil, in 2004. Methods data collection by means of semi-open questionnaires applied to the victims’ families in household interviews, through verbal autopsy (VA). Content analysis was applied to the narratives. The reconstruction of the 91 work accidents (WA) is presented in two thematic sections: the victims’ work and their death circumstances. Results the strong presence of precarious working conditions, even among those in formal jobs, was evident, but it was especially obvious among non-registered workers. In order to earn the necessary minimum income, they worked longer hours. The streets emerged as a typical WA spot, in contrast to being classified as a commuting accident. Traffic deaths and its relation to work, a phenomenon that has not been sufficiently studied, are evidenced along with murder as circumstances of death caused by precarious working conditions. Conclusions preventing death and violence at the workplace demands integrated actions. Verbal autopsy has proved to be a promising technique to produce information on the WA causes, and it can help decrease underreporting. .

Causes of Adult Deaths by Verbal Autopsy in an Urban Slum of Ludhiana.

Twenty-three of the world’s 192 countries have high-quality death registration data and 75 have no cause-specific mortality data at all. Verbal autopsy (VA), an alternative method for collecting mortality data, enables investigators to establish the cause of death retrospectively. VA carries information on circumstances, events, signs, and symptoms of illness experienced by the deceased before death. It can ascertain the leading causes of death, reduce the misclassification of causes, reduce the proportion of adult (age 25 or older) deaths attributed to unspecified or unknown causes (from 54% to 23% in urban areas and from 41% to 26% in rural areas). A study was undertaken in a urban slum of Ludhiana, to find the cause specific mortality of adult deaths and get an insight into the mortality pattern of this sample population.

Identifying Factors Associated with Maternal Deaths in Jharkhand, India: A Verbal Autopsy Study.

Maternal mortality has been identified as a priority issue in health policy and research in India. The country, with an annual decrease of maternal mortality rate by 4.9% since 1990, now records 63,000 maternal deaths a year. India tops the list of countries with high maternal mortality. Based on a verbal autopsy study of 403 maternal deaths, conducted in 2008, this paper explores the missed opportunities to save maternal lives, besides probing into the socioeconomic factors contributing to maternal deaths in Jharkhand, India. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two phases, and a multistage sampling design was used in selecting deaths for verbal autopsy. Informed consent was taken into consideration before verbal autopsy. The analytical approach includes bivariate analysis using SPSS 15, besides triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings. Most of the deceased were poor (89%), non-literates (85%), and housewives (74%). Again, 80% died in the community/at home, 28% died during pregnancy while another 26% died during delivery. Any antenatal care was received by merely 28% women, and only 20% of the deliveries were conducted by skilled birth attendants (doctors and midwives). Delays in decision-making, travel, and treatment compounded by ignorance of obstetric complications, inadequate use of maternal healthcare services, poor healthcare infrastructure, and harmful rituals are the major contributing factors of maternal deaths in India.

Causes of death in rural adult population of North India (2002-2007), using verbal autopsy tool.

Background: With the on-going epidemiological transition, information on the pattern of mortality is important for health planning. Verbal autopsy (VA) is an established tool to ascertain the cause of death in areas where routine registration systems are incomplete or inaccurate. We estimated cause-specific mortality rates in rural adult population of 28 villages of Ballabgarh in North India using VA. Materials and Methods: During 2002-2007, trained multi-purpose health workers conducted 2294 VA interviews and underlying cause of death was coded by physicians. Proportional mortality (%) was calculated by dividing the number of deaths attributed to a specific cause by the total number of deaths for which a VA was carried out. Findings: 61% of deaths occurred among males and 59% occurred among those aged ≥60 years. The leading causes of death were diseases of the respiratory system (18.7%) and the circulatory system (18.1%). Infectious causes and injuries and other external causes, each accounted for around 15% of total deaths followed by neoplasms (6.8%) and diseases of the digestive system (4%). Among those 45 years of age, more than half of deaths were attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) alone. Accidents and injuries were responsible for one-fourth of deaths in 15-30 years age group. Conclusion: NCDs and injuries are emerging as major causes of death in this region thereby posing newer challenges to public health system.

Institutionalizing district level infant death review: an experience from southern India.

Background: An Infant Death Review (IDR) programme was developed and implemented in two districts of Karnataka. Objective: We explored the processes that led to the development of the IDR programme with a view to improving the existing pilot programme and to ensuring its sustainability. Methods: A sequential mixed-methods design was followed in which quantitative data collection (secondary data) was followed by qualitative data collection (in-depth interviews). Quantitative data were entered using EpiInfo (version 3.5.1) software and qualitative data were analysed manually. Results: Apart from ascertaining the cause of infant deaths, the IDR Committee discusses social, economic, behavioural and health system issues that potentially contribute to the deaths. As a result of the IDR programme, key actors perceived an improvement in infant death reporting at district level, the development of a rapport with the local community, and elaboration of a feedback system for corrective actions. This has led to improved health care during pregnancy. Conclusions: We found that involvement of the different stakeholders in planning and implementing the IDR programme offered a platform for collective learning and action. Impediments to the success of the programme need to be addressed by corrective actions at all levels for its future sustainability.

Performance of cause-specific childhood mortality surveillance by health workers using a short verbal autopsy tool.

Background: The routine use of verbal autopsy in health-care delivery settings has been limited. Hence, the performance of neonatal and postneonatal verbal autopsy (VA) tools developed at the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP), Ballabgarh (India), were assessed. Methods: Short VA tools developed by CRHSP were filled by health workers during their routine house visits while standard VA tools of the International Network of Field Sites with continuous Demographic Evaluation (INDEPTH) were filled by trained research workers for all 143 under-fivechildren deaths that occurred in 2008. The level of agreement in the cause of death assigned by the two VA tools was assessed by kappa and by comparison of the cause-specific mortality fractions. Results: Among 65 neonatal deaths, the cause specific mortality fraction (CSMF) was 43.1% and 40% for low birthweight, 15.4% and 26.2% for birth asphyxia, and 7.7% and 10.8% for pneumonia by INDEPTH and CRHSP VA tools respectively. In 78 deaths among 29-days to <5-year olds, the CSMF was 29.4% and 26.9% for diarrhoea, and 16.6% each for pneumonia using the INDEPTH and CRHSP VA tools respectively. Kappa for most causes of death was more than 0.8, except for birth asphyxia, which had a kappa of 0.678. Conclusions: Short VA tools have a satisfactory performance in field settings, which can be used routinely by health workers for filling the gaps in the cause-of-death information in places where medical certification of cause of death is deficient.

Use of Verbal Autopsy as a Proxy to Determine the Possible Cause of Neonatal Deaths.

Introduction: Information on causes of death is extremely important for policy making, planning, monitoring, field research, future management statergies and epidemic awareness. The best method of finding the cause of death is by post mortem examination but since this is difficult, post death analysis by verbal autopsy is a good method to determine the same. Objective: To asses the role of verbal autopsy method in the investigation of neonatal death and to determine the probable, causes of neonatal death. Materials and Methods: A pre-tested questionnaire in Hindi was administered to 50 mothers and/or next of kin or other care givers of the deceased residing in villages around 200 Kms. of Bhopal and in urban slums of Municipal Corporation, Bhopal. Results: 84 % of the total death occurred with in seven days of birth, 88 % of death occurred in villages where health facilities were available. As per verbal autopsy 36 % and 20 % of the infants died because of Birth asphyxia and Respiratory Distress Syndrome respectively and further 2%, 4% and 6% because of neonatal tetanus, hypothermia and other causes respectively. Conclusion: Verbal autopsy could be one of the possible cost effective and a reliable tool for determining the causes of neonatal deaths at present.

Causes of Neonatal Deaths in a Rural Subdistrict of Bangladesh: Implications for Intervention.

The study assessed the timing and causes of neonatal deaths in a rural area of Bangladesh. A populationbased demographic surveillance system, run by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, recorded livebirths and neonatal deaths during 2003-2004 among a population of 224,000 living in Matlab, a rural subdistrict of eastern Bangladesh. Deaths were investigated using the INDEPTH/ World Health Organization verbal autopsy. Three physicians independently reviewed data from verbal autopsy interview to assign the cause of death. There were 11,291 livebirths and 365 neonatal deaths during the two-year period. The neonatal mortality rate was 32.3 per 1,000 livebirths. Thirty-seven percent of the neonatal deaths occurred within 24 hours, 76% within 0-3 days, 84% within 0-7 days, and the remaining 16% within 8-28 days. Birth asphyxia (45%), prematurity/low birthweight (15%), sepsis/meningitis (12%), respiratory distress syndrome (7%), and pneumonia (6%) were the major direct causes of death. Birth asphyxia (52.8%) was the single largest category of cause of death in the early neonatal period while meningitis/ sepsis (48.3%) was the single largest category in the late neonatal period. The high proportion of deaths during the early neonatal period and the far-higher proportion of neonatal deaths caused by birth asphyxia compared to the global average (45% vs 23-29%) indicate the lack of skilled birth attendance and newborn care for the large majority of births that occur in the home in rural Bangladesh. Resuscitation of newborns and management of low-birthweight/premature babies need to be at the core of neonatal interventional packages in rural Bangladesh.

Cause of death among reproductive age group women in Maharashtra, India.

Background & objectives: Reliable data on mortality and morbidity among women of reproductive age group are scarce in India. The present study is the Maharashtra component of a large multicentric task force study on the cause of death by verbal autopsy conducted in five States of India. The data pertaining to deaths among reproductive age group women are presented along with the factors contributing to these deaths. Methods: House-to-house surveys of a representative population from rural and urban areas in six districts of Maharashtra were undertaken by probability of proportion to size (PPS) sampling. Information on death was obtained from the relatives of the deceased and cause of death was assigned using the standardized algorithm prepared. International Classification of Diseases – ICD- 10 was used to code the assigned cause of death. Results: A total of 103 deaths in reproductive age group women were investigated, of which 7 (5.6%) were maternal while 96 (93.2%) were due to non maternal causes. Six out of seven maternal deaths were in rural area. Among the non maternal deaths, 46.8 per cent women had symptoms suggestive of anaemia and the leading cause of death was infectious and parasitic diseases (25%), tuberculosis being the top killer in this group. This was followed by injury and poisoning (20.8%), suicides being the leading cause in this category. Among non-communicable diseases, cancers contributed to 10.6 per cent deaths among which cancer esophagus and cancer cervix took a major toll. Interpretation & conclusion: Communicable diseases, injury and poisoning and cancers are the major killers among reproductive age group women. Several factors responsible for accidents and suicides also contributed substantially to the mortality load among these women. Majority of the maternal deaths were seen in rural areas indicating the need to strengthen the maternal health care.

Pregnancy-related Deaths in Rural Rajasthan, India: Exploring Causes, Context, and Care-seeking Through Verbal Autopsy.

In 2002-2003, all deaths (n=156) of women aged 15-49 years in a block of southern Rajasthan were investigated to determine the cause of death and care-seeking behaviour. Family members of 156 (98%) of 160 deceased women were interviewed following the comprehensive listing of all deaths among women of reproductive age. Of the 156 deaths, 31 (20%) were pregnancy-related; 77% of these women died during the postpartum period, and 74% of the deaths occurred in the home. Direct and indirect obstetric causes were responsible for 58% and 29% of the deaths respectively; 12% were injury-related deaths. Medical care was sought for 65% of the women, and 29% were hospitalized. Family perception of not being able to afford treatment at distant hospitals was a major barrier to seeking care, and 60% of those who sought care had to borrow money for treatment. Lack of skilled attendance and immediate postpartum care were major factors contributing to deaths. Improved access to emergency obstetric care facilities in rural areas and steps to eliminate costs at public hospitals would be crucial to prevent pregnancy-related deaths.

Innovations and Challenges in Reducing Maternal Mortality in Tamil Nadu, India.

Although India has made slow progress in reducing maternal mortality, progress in Tamil Nadu has been rapid. This case study documents how Tamil Nadu has taken initiatives to improve maternal health services leading to reduction in maternal morality from 380 in 1993 to 90 in 2007. Various initiatives include establishment of maternal death registration and audit, establishment and certification of comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn-care centres, 24-hour x 7-day delivery services through posting of three staff nurses at the primary health centre level, and attracting medical officers to rural areas through incentives in terms of reserved seats in postgraduate studies and others. This is supported by the better management capacity at the state and district levels through dedicated public-health officers. Despite substantial progress, there is some scope for further improvement of quality of infrastructure and services. The paper draws out lessons for other states and countries in the region.

Verbal Autopsy of Maternal Deaths in Two Districts of Pakistan—Filling Information Gaps.

In Pakistan, the vital registration system is weak, and population-based data on the maternal mortality ratio are limited. This study was carried out to collect information on maternal deaths from different existing sources during the current year—2007 (prospective) and the past two years—2005 and 2006—(retrospective), identify gaps in information, and critically analyze maternal deaths at the community and health-facility levels in two districts in Pakistan. The verbal autopsy questionnaire was administered to households where a maternal death had occurred. No single source had complete data on maternal deaths. Risk factors identified among 128 deceased women were low socioeconomic status, illiteracy, low-earning jobs, parity, and bad obstetric history. These were similar to the findings of earlier studies. Half of the women did seek antenatal care, 34% having made more than four visits. Of the 104 women who died during or after delivery, 38% had delivered in a private facility and 18% in a government facility. The quality of services in both private and public sectors was inadequate. Sixty-nine percent of deaths occurred in the postpartum period, and 51% took place within 24 hours of delivery. The study identified gaps in reporting of maternal deaths and also provided profile of the dead women and the causes of death.

Morbimortalidad femenina en la Puna jujeña: potencialidad de la técnica autopsia verbal / Female morbimortality in Puna jujeña: the potential for verbal autopsy

Desde este espacio proponemos un plan de trabajo que nos permita indagar las particularidades de los procesos de salud-enfermedad-atención de las mujeres de las comunidades campesinas de la Puna jujeña, en el norte de Argentina. La etapa en estudio abarca desde inicios de la década del 1990 hasta la actualidad, periodo que se corresponde con la agudización de una crisis socioeconómica que repercutió en todos los ámbitos, incluidos el de la salud. Una forma de dar cuenta de la problemática que afecta a esta población, es el análisis de los procesos de morbimortalidad femenina por causas reproductivas, a fin de determinar la incidencia de los factores socioeconómicos, culturales, étnicos, de género, entre otros, en la instalación de procesos mórbidos y en su desenlace. Para tal fin, utilizamos la autopsia verbal como técnica de recolección de datos, un método cualitativo mediante el cual podemos reconstruir los procesos previos a la muerte según la percepción de los familiares más cercanos de la fallecida para dar cuenta de las particularidades de esta etapa.

Malaria specific mortality in lowlands and highlands of Muheza district; north-eastern Tanzania

Vital registration of causes of death in Tanzania is incomplete and many deaths occur outside health care settings. Verbal autopsies (VA) are used to determine the underlying cause of death, and the probable diagnosis helps to estimate reasonably cause-specific mortality. In this paper, we report findings of a verbal autopsy survey which involved eight villages in both low and highlands of Muheza district, north-eastern Tanzania. The survey was conducted following.a rapid census, which was done to identify households that had lost one or more members within a period of two years from the date of census. Trained research assistants administered VA questionnaires to parents/close relatives. Two physicians reviewed each report independently and a third opinion was sought where there was discordant report between the two. A total of 9,872 households were surveyed and 134 deaths were recorded. A total of 96 (71.6%) deaths were from lowland villages representing high malaria transmission. Majority (72.4%) of the reported deaths occurred at home whilst 32.1% occurred at heath facility settings. Overall, severe malaria was the leading cause accounting for 34.3% of all deaths. Infants were most affected and accounted for 43.5% of the total deaths. Pulmonary tuberculosis ranked second (8.2%) cause of deaths and was exclusively confined to individuals ≥15 years. Probable cause of death could not be determined in 13.4% of deaths. In conclusion, majority of deaths in rural north-eastern Tanzania occur at home and the immediate causes are usually unknown or not documented. These findings indicate that the verbal autopsy is a useful tool for detecting leading causes of death at community level in the absence of health facility-based data