Interviewer instructions
- Section H: Recent deaths in the household. This section covers columns H11 to H16. The questions in this section should be posed to the head of the household or any other responsible member of the household.
37. Section H: Recent deaths in the household
37.1 Introduction
- Purpose of the section: This section seeks to capture information on recent deaths in the household. The duration being considered is the last 12 months prior to the census reference night or the period between 24/8/2008 and 24/8/2009. The information collected will be crucial in the direct determination of current mortality levels in the country. Much of the section is devoted to questions relating to maternal deaths at household level. This is a key indicator in a nation's development status and has been emphasized by the UN, as one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) i.e. on improvement of maternal health.
- Respondent: The questions in this section (H11?H16) should be answered by the household head or any other responsible household member. If the answer to question H11 is 00, then move to the next section (i.e. information regarding livestock). Deaths will only be captured in the households where they occurred i.e. if a death occurred to somebody visiting a different household that death should be captured in the household that was being visited. If death occurred to somebody who was transferred directly from another district to a health facility in another district, that death should be captured in the household in the district of residence.
Note: Some respondents may avoid mentioning children who died at very young ages or during birth. Cases of still births should not be captured. In this case, a child who shows any of the following signs, soon after birth, is considered a "live" birth:- cries, moves spontaneously or shows any sign of life. However, a birth that shows none of the above signs is called a 'still birth' and should be excluded in this section. A live birth that dies soon after birth or within 12 months prior to the census interview should be included.
37.2 Column H11: Death of HH member
Ask the respondent: "How many deaths occurred in this household between 24/8/2008 and 24/8/2009?" If there are deaths record the number, if none record "0"and skip to Section I.
