Vital Events Registration Addis Ababa (VERAA)
Rebbeca Tesfai, Co-PI
Georges Reniers, Co-PI
Eduard Sanders, Co-PI
Abstract:
The Vital Events Registration Addis Ababa (VERAA) project was initiated as a spin-off from a Masters in Public Health project of Sr. Tekebash Araya. The regular project receives funding (2002-2006) from the AIDS Foundation (Amsterdam). Ad-hoc funding was obtained from the Ford Foundation (travel grant), and the Mellon foundation (funding for the 2004 Verbal Autopsies)1. The core data collection system of the VERAA project is an ongoing surveillance of deaths at all burial sites (currently over 80) in Addis Ababa. The information recorded in the surveillance includes basic socio-demographic background characteristics as well as the lay diagnosis of the cause of death.
Description:
This information is provided by close relatives at the cemetery while making the arrangements for burial. The system is unique in an African setting and functions as partial substitute for a true vital registration system, which are often lacking or dysfunctional. Additional data collection processes that resort under the VERAA project comprise:
* Prospective hospital deaths data: a 1-year prospective surveillance of deaths at all hospitals of Addis Ababa (2001). Around 40% of the hospital deaths were linked with a burial surveillance record.
* Retrospective hospital deaths data: up to 24-year retrospective deaths data at 23 hospitals in Addis Ababa (most recent year of data collection 2001). Data still need to be entered
* 2001 verbal autopsies1: 307 verbal autopsies on a random sample of deaths drawn from the burial surveillance
* Zewditu Memorial Hospital surveillance: 9 months surveillance (May 2003 ?/FONT> January 2004) of all admitted patients (plus outpatients at TB-HIV clinic and medical emergency room) at the Zewditu Memorial Hospital (N=2700). Data collected includes basic demographic info, marital status, education, religion, diagnosis at admission, HIV status and diagnosis at discharge. To be used in validating the 2004 verbal autopsies (see below)
* 2004 verbal autopsies: 1400 verbal autopsies with info on cause of death, hospital service utilization, socio-economic background characteristics, and caregiving (1200 done on a random sample of burial surveillance records, 200 on cases that have been part of the Zewditu Hospital surveillance)
* Prospective hospital deaths data: a 1-year prospective surveillance of deaths at all hospitals of Addis Ababa (2001). Around 40% of the hospital deaths were linked with a burial surveillance record.
* Retrospective hospital deaths data: up to 24-year retrospective deaths data at 23 hospitals in Addis Ababa (most recent year of data collection 2001). Data still need to be entered
* 2001 verbal autopsies1: 307 verbal autopsies on a random sample of deaths drawn from the burial surveillance
* Zewditu Memorial Hospital surveillance: 9 months surveillance (May 2003 ?/FONT> January 2004) of all admitted patients (plus outpatients at TB-HIV clinic and medical emergency room) at the Zewditu Memorial Hospital (N=2700). Data collected includes basic demographic info, marital status, education, religion, diagnosis at admission, HIV status and diagnosis at discharge. To be used in validating the 2004 verbal autopsies (see below)
* 2004 verbal autopsies: 1400 verbal autopsies with info on cause of death, hospital service utilization, socio-economic background characteristics, and caregiving (1200 done on a random sample of burial surveillance records, 200 on cases that have been part of the Zewditu Hospital surveillance)