Age-pattern of Mortality in India: An Exposition of "Recent Household Death" Approach

In spite of an increasing demand for reliable information of cause and distribution of mortality, civil registration systems in most developing countries still do not yield the complete and accurate data required for the direct estimation of mortality rates. In India, where civil registration system and SRS lacks sufficient power to produce reliable estimates of mortality across life stages. Our knowledge of age-pattern of mortality depends largely on cross-sectional data from censuses /surveys providing us information on recent deaths in the households. Most of the household surveys are not designed to derive mortality estimates over all ages. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing large scale household survey (DLHS-III) conducted in 2007-2008 in India. We have computed age specific mortality rates for all age groups after adjusting infants/child exposure period by “Date by Year cohort” method. Brass two parameter logit model has been used to graduate non-linearity of estimated age specific mortality rates. This study clearly suggests that mortality estimates derived from “Recent household death" approach using district level data yield comparable results with official Sample registration system Death rates.