Improving Causes of Death through the Implementation of Verbal Autopsy in Solomon Islands

Rodley Ruskin, Project Officer - Health Information System (HIS) and CRVS Liaison
Hafizur Chowdhury, CDC Foundation
Rohina Joshi, University of New South Wales
Seraphina Elisha, Ministry Of Health and Medical Services
Rebecca Manelase, Ministry Of Health and Medical Services

Background: Verbal Autopsy (VA) is an evidence-based method to generate cause of death (CoD) where medical certification is not yet feasible. This critical CoD information is missing for the majority (~ 80%) of deaths occurring outside health facilities in Solomon Islands. To address this gap, a Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative was initiated with the Government to strengthen CRVS system and improve cause of death. Methods: In 2016, the Solomon Islands introduced an automated VA method called Smart VA. Trained data collectors, primarily nurses, conducted VAs on tablets using Smart VA questionnaire. The collected data, from 2016 to 2024, were analysed using the Tariff 2.0 automated diagnostic algorithm to estimate cause-specific mortality fractions for community deaths. Results: VA has enabled the determination of specific CoDs for deaths occurring in communities. The leading causes of death in these communities have been identified as ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pneumonia, and chronic respiratory disease. Conclusion: VA in the Solomon Islands has proven to be an effective method for generating reliable CoD information. This approach requires further strengthening and monitoring through the routine Health Information System to achieve a nationally representative coverage of VA to support better health policy.

Keywords: Mortality and Longevity, Data and Methods, Data visualisation , Civil Registration and Vital Statistics

See extended abstract.