Determination of Causes of Death by Using Verbal Autopsy (VA) Method

The Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) was established in October 1998 to evaluate the impact on burden of disease of health system reforms based on locally generated data, prioritization, resource allocation and planning for essential health interventions.
The Rufiji HDSS collects detailed information on health and survival and provides a framework for population-based health research of relevance to local and national health priorities. Monitoring of households and members within households is undertaken in regular 6-month cycles known as 'rounds'. Self-reported information is collected on demographic, household, socioeconomic and geographical characteristics.
Verbal autopsies were done by trained Field interviewers to collect detailed data through structured and standardized INDEPTH Network verbal autopsy forms on symptoms and signs during the terminal illness, allowing assignment of cause of death following physician's review to a list of causes of death, based on the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
From 2008 to 2015 Rufiji HDSS recorded about 5500 deaths. About 90% of them were interviewed and assigned the underlying cause of death. The Ifakara Health Institute VA data portal will be periodically updated depending on the availability of new data from the field.