Profile of deaths at the Yaoundé Emergency Center following implementation of medical certification of cause of death

Abstract

Context: Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system it is an optimal source of reliable and timely mortality data. The objective was to describe the profile of deaths that occurred at the Yaoundé Emergency Center (YEC) following implementation of medical
certification of cause of death.

Materials and methods: We carried out a retrospective descriptive study from July 2021 to December 2022. This is a pilot site for the implementation of the Medical Certification of Causes of Death (CMCD) in Cameroon. All deaths recorded were enrolled. Death
declaration forms, death registers of services were the collection tools. The variables of interest were type of death, sociodemographic data, and performance indicators of the implementation of the CMCD. The data was captured and analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: A total of 967 deaths were recorded. Deaths in hospital accounted for 56,16%. The structure has reported 63.18% of deaths to the civil registry services. The data reported in DHIS2 accounted for 52.74% of the total deaths. The average age of the deceased was 50.81 years (0-103 years) with the predominance of males. Expatriates represent 1.2% among 6 registered nationalities. The death notification and health system information (DHIS2) recording rate were low, 63,18 % and 51,91% respectively.

Conclusion: The sociodemographic profile of CURY deaths is consistent with data from the literature in sub-Saharan regions. However, the completeness of the data remains a challenge.