Information on causes of death is extremely important for policy-making, planning, monitoring and evaluation of health programs as well as for

field research, comparisons and epidemic awareness.The Millennium Development Goal for India is to reduce infant mortality rate to 35 per 1000 & under-five mortality to 45 per 1000 live births by 2015.The incorporation of Verbal Autopsy (VA) in the existing Registration Systems is necessary in order to fulfil its ultimate goal of improving the information on causes of infant deaths in areas where Civil Registration and Death Certification are weak. VA provides information for local action by health authorities to reduce the infant mortality rate according to area-specific causes of death. The book is intended to policy makers, program managers working in child health, academicians, researchers and medical graduates to improve the lives of the young ones and identify the social and non medical causes related to infant deaths. This book therefore provides the insight in bringing out the uses of verbal autopsy as a tool in identifying the causes of death which can be either medical/socio-ecnonomic/cultural practices or as combined causes.

Vijay Kumar Chattu

Vijay Kumar Chattu Dr.Ch.Vijay Kumar has MD in Community medicine & MPH(Belgium)worked in MCH area focusing Infant mortality.He received fellowships from WHO,NIH-USA & was visiting scholar at UCLA. Has rich experience working in India,USA, France,Austria,Saudi,UAE & Oman.Currently associated with University of Buraimi, DrSMCSI Medical College & UNAIDS-TSF,South Asia.

Verbal Autopsy Tool for Infant Mortality

Application of Verbal Autopsy in improving quality of information,accountability & health care delivery systems

978-3-659-12039-8