Mortality rate

Rapid Mortality Surveillance Report

Published by: 
Medical Research Council

A Rapid Mortality Surveillance (RMS) system was established to monitor the trend in the number of deaths recorded on the national population register at a time when there was a substantial time lag in the cause-of-death reports being produced by Stats SA. This report presents an analysis of the RMS data and provides empirical estimates of the mortality-based high-level indicators for Outputs 1 and 2 of the health-related outcomes of the NSDA to highlight the significant changes in mortality currently taking place in South Africa. By adjusting for known bias in the RMS data, it is possible to provide information about these key indicators two years sooner than the published vital registration data.

Levels & Trends in Child Mortality Report 2011

Published by: 
UNICEF

The number of children under five years of age dying each year declined from more than 12 million in 1990 to 7.6 million in 2010, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said after releasing the latest estimates on worldwide child mortality.

These new figures show that compared to 1990, around 12,000 more children’s lives are saved each day. 

The annual report on child mortality found that in sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest number of under-five deaths in the world, the speed at which the under-five mortality rate is declining doubled from 1.2 per cent a year during 1990-2000 to 2.4 per cent a year during 2000-2010.

Community Based Situational Analysis: Maternal and Neonatal Follow Up Care

Published by: 
Health Systems Trust
Reduction of mortality and morbidity of both the mother and the newborn have been identified as priority areas needing urgent attention by the Department of Health. The maternal mortality ratio for South Africa was estimated in the South African Demographic and Health Survey of 1998 to be 150/100 000 births. This rate is however, thought to be rising, as the estimate from the latest Saving Mothers Report places the estimate at 175-200/100 000 births. The extent of morbidity is not known but it is estimated that for every woman that dies of a pregnancy related complication, 20 more suffer from morbidity such as vesico-vaginal fistulae which may be severe and lead to long term disabilities.

Audit of Perinatal Mortality and Acute Morbidity in Northern KwaZulu-Natal

Published by: 
Health Systems Trust
Perinatal mortality rates have long been used as an indicator of the standard of maternal and newborn care. Their importance in this regard is undisputed. Rates can be as low as 9/1000 births in some developed countries but are considerably higher in the developing world. Information from rural South Africa is limited and detailed analysis is made difficult by problems of isolation, poor communications, staff shortages and often, incomplete record keeping.