Solutions Inventory

Using verbal autopsies to collect data on child and maternal health

Verbal autopsies can be used to supplement health surveys or civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in understanding childhood deaths. USAID implemented its Social and Verbal Autopsy in Nigeria, which was used to estimate causes and determinants of neonatal and childhood deaths; the verbal autopsy also collected pregnancy-related complications, which can help policymakers make informed decisions on maternal and childhood mortality.