An Epidemiological study of natural deaths in Limpopo

Abstract

AIM: To establish the epidemiological and demographic profiles of natural deaths in Limpopo province. SETTING: Limpopo province METHOD: Data was captured from records of deaths kept by the Statistics South Africa from the 1st of January 2000 to the 31st of December 2005 excluding unnatural deaths. FINDINGS: There were 228 626 natural deaths during the study period. The gender distribution was 48% males and 52% females. The mean age of death for the population has decreased from 50.11(95%CI: 49.82 50.41) in 2000 to 45.10 (95%CI: 44.88 45.33) in 2005. The crude mortality rate has increased from 7, 2 per 1000 in 2001 to 9, 5 per 1000 in 2005. The highest numbers of deaths are at the age group 30-44 years which contributed to 23% of all deaths. Infectious and parasitic diseases, respiratory tuberculosis as well as diarrhoea and gastroenteritis presumed infectious in origin are the major causes of death for males and females. Amongst the top 10 causes of death are combinations of infectious and parasitic, non-communicable diseases and ill defined causes. This finding suggests a double burden of disease. CONCLUSION: Deaths are on the increase and claims the lives of the young persons in the population. The age of death is on the decline, caused by mainly ill-defined causes, parasitic and infectious diseases as well as noncommunicable and perinatal conditions. This trend mirrors the HIV epidemic, and calls for further intensification of preventive, promotive and treatment programmes.