Mortality estimations in Kenya with special reference to causes of death

Abstract

As in most developing cOQ~tries, mortality data In Kenya has often been said to be inaccurate and incomplete. particular registration of deaths, has not been developed to the extent that it covers every death which occurs. Therefore, levels and trends of mortality in Kenya have been learned through the widespread adoption or indirect methods of estimating demographic parameters from limited data. In this study, four "Indirect" methods of 11l0rtality estimation have been derived, discussed and applied to the IT.mortality data in Kenya in order to estimate the level of mortality which prevailed in the country in 1979. Three of the four methods of analysis namely: I) The Bennett-Horiuchi Method of estimat ing the completeness of death registration; II) The Bennett-Horiuchi Method of constructing life Tables from Lncomp.Le t e death registration data; and III) The Preston Cenu, s-based Method of constructing . life tables; are generalizations of the stable population theory, and, unlike the previous indirect methods which used a constant population growth rate in the estimation of mortality the three methods use age specific population growth rates.