Estimating Mortality from Census Data: an record linkage study in the Nouna Demographic and Health Surveillance System in Burkina Faso

Using data collected in the Nouna HDSS in Burkina Faso, we evaluate the reliability of mortality estimates based on the 2006 national census. We extracted from the census database all records referring to the population under surveillance in the HDSS. Life tables were estimated from recent household deaths reported in the census and compared to those obtained from the prospective mortality data. We linked census and HDSS records at the individual level and evaluated the reported ages of household members and those who died in the 12 months preceding the census against those in the HDSS. Life expectancies derived from recent deaths reported in households pointed to lower mortality than monitored in the HDSS, with a difference of 3.2 years for men and 6.8 years for women. Age errors were limited for the surviving population, but larger for the deceased. Underreporting of deaths plays a larger role than age errors