Sulpizio Carlie L, Tessema Zaena, Morof Diane, Boyd Andrew, Agyemang Elfriede, Knuth Martha, Fernandez Danielle, Patel Monita, Ali Hammad
Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis, United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.
J Public Health Afr. 2025 May 27;16(1):733. doi: 10.4102/jphia.v16i1.733. eCollection 2025.
Mortality data are critical for understanding changes in population health, detecting and monitoring diseases, guiding public health responses and evaluating interventions like human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) prevention and treatment programmes. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), comprehensive mortality data are often hindered by a high incidence of deaths occurring outside healthcare facilities and the lack of robust data systems, creating a significant knowledge gap.
This article presents methodologies for collecting mortality data, particularly in LMICs, to provide accurate and reliable information on overall and cause-specific mortality, including HIV-related deaths.
This study explore methods that may be useful in LMICs, where mortality data systems are often ad-hoc, sub-national and incomplete.
Available methods were examined for collecting mortality data and report on the strengths, weaknesses and resource considerations for each method.
The analysis shows that while Civil Registration and Vital Statistics is the gold standard for mortality data collection, its implementation is challenging because of differing priorities of stakeholders, infrastructural and legal barriers. Alternative methods may provide valuable data but may have limitations in coverage and resource allocation. Integrating these methods can enhance understanding of mortality data, including for HIV-related deaths.
Implementing a combination of mortality data-collection methods could address gaps in mortality data in LMICs. Tailoring interventions based on these data may improve health outcomes and support HIV epidemic control efforts.
This study could be used as a resource to ministries of health, national and international public health organisations, researchers and funding bodies as it can assist countries in selecting the mortality surveillance strategy that best fits their HIV epidemic, and available infrastructure and financial resources.
死亡率数据对于理解人群健康变化、检测和监测疾病、指导公共卫生应对措施以及评估诸如人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）预防和治疗项目等干预措施至关重要。然而，在低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs），全面的死亡率数据常常受到医疗机构外高死亡率以及缺乏健全数据系统的阻碍，从而造成了巨大的知识空白。
本文介绍了收集死亡率数据的方法，尤其是在低收入和中等收入国家，以提供关于总体死亡率和特定原因死亡率（包括与HIV相关的死亡）的准确可靠信息。
本研究探索了可能对低收入和中等收入国家有用的方法，这些国家的死亡率数据系统往往是临时的、低于国家层面的且不完整的。
研究了现有的收集死亡率数据的方法，并报告了每种方法的优缺点及资源考量。
分析表明，虽然民事登记和生命统计是死亡率数据收集的金标准，但由于利益相关者的不同优先事项、基础设施和法律障碍，其实施具有挑战性。替代方法可能提供有价值的数据，但在覆盖范围和资源分配方面可能存在局限性。整合这些方法可以增强对死亡率数据的理解，包括与HIV相关的死亡数据。
实施多种死亡率数据收集方法的组合可以弥补低收入和中等收入国家死亡率数据的缺口。基于这些数据量身定制干预措施可能会改善健康结果并支持HIV疫情控制工作。
本研究可作为卫生部、国家和国际公共卫生组织、研究人员和资助机构的参考资源，因为它可以帮助各国选择最适合其HIV疫情、现有基础设施和财政资源的死亡率监测策略。
