Report 1 | Methodology and Description of a National Sample of Verbal Autopsies

Executive Summary

South Africa has a well-established Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) with a high proportion of deaths being registered. The quality of the cause of death statistics that arise from the death notification forms completed by medical doctors, however, is sub-optimal, making it difficult to obtain a reliable cause of death profile or monitor trends in the number of deaths from specific causes.

2019 & 2020

The Rapid Mortality Surveillance (RMS) Report has been providing empirical estimates of the mortality-based high-level indicators for monitoring health and the performance of the Department of Health since 2012. It provides information to track the National Development Plan (NDP) health goal to increase life expectancy at birth and selected outcomes outlined in the NDP and the Department of Health’s Strategic Plan for 2020/21 – 2024/25.

BoDRU, in collaboration with the Gender and Health and Biostatistics unit, conducted a survey of more than 25,000 non-natural deaths that presented to mortuaries in 2017 in order to:

• describe the incidence of fatal injury rates in South Africa by age, sex and cause
• compare the provincial injury mortality rates for fatal injuries

Key messages of the 2nd Injury Mortality Survey for 2017 include:

Evaluation Report | First survey 2017-2019

This project sought to evaluate the linkage to and retention in HIV care rates, and the possible barriers and facilitators to HIV care in a single high HIV prevalence rural setting in South Africa. Enhancing linkage to and retention in care is important for the universal test and treat (UTT) strategy to achieve its full potential impact on the epidemic.

• Cancer Incidence in Selected Municipalities of the Eastern Cape Province 2013-2017
• Eastern Cape province Cancer Registry 2003–2007  
• Cancer Incidence in Selected Municipalities of the Eastern Cape Province 1998-2002 Summary Report  

• Under-5 mortality statistics in South Africa: Shedding some light on the trends and causes 1997-2007
• Cause of death statistics for South Africa: Challenges and possibilities for improvement
• Unabated rise in number of adult deaths in South Africa – 2004  Scientific letter published SAMJ, po

Introduction

Stastistics South Africa (Stats SA), in partnership with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), conducted the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 (SADHS 2016) at the request of the National Department of Health (NDoH). Technical assistance was provided through The DHS Program. Timely information about the health of the nation is essential for monitoring and evaluation. Survey data collection took place from 27 June 2016 to 4 November 2016.

Documents

Overview of the Burden of Disease Review Manager

Burden of Disease studies aim to provide a comprehensive assessment of mortality, ill-health and disability experienced in the population. The Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is a summary measure that combines the health loss from premature mortality (Years of Life Lost [YLLs]) as well as the loss from disability associated with non-fatal outcomes (Years of Life Lived with Disability [YLDs]) (Murray et al., 1996; Mathers et al., 2001).

Frere Hospital is a provincial government-funded referral hospital situated in East London in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It has an Oncology and Radiation Department that offers oncology services to patients coming from municipalities of Buffalo City, Amathole, OR Tambo, Chris Hani, uKhahlamba, Alfred Nzo and Cacadu. A few patients from Nelson Mandela Municipality and even outside the Eastern Cape Province are also treated. Hospital-based cancer incidence has been investigated periodically since the late 1950’s in this setting.

Executive Summary

The Burden of Disease Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council is currently undertaking the Second National Burden of Disease study for South Africa (SA NBD2). Despite South Africa having data sources to estimate mortality, data to estimate non-fatal burden are sparse. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and the WHO Burden of Disease Study produced years of life lived with a disability (YLDs) by causes, disease categories and broad cause group for South Africa that could be used to fill this gap.