Mortality in HIV-negative adults in Kwazulu-Natal: trends, causes and gender differences

Georges Reniers, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Judith Lieber, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Kobus Herbst, Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies
Clara Calvert, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Victoria Hosegood, University of Southampton
Basia Zaba, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

For the past few decades adult mortality in South Africa has been shaped by the HIV epidemic. Whilst much is known about the impact of HIV there is little empirical data on the underlying or ‘background’ mortality. Background mortality can be studied as the mortality of the HIV negative population, and to that end we use longitudinal data produced by the HIV and demographic surveillance system in KwaZulu Natal. We report on mortality trends, age patterns of mortality and causes of death in the known HIV negative adults (aged 15 and above) for the period between 2007 and 2013. Results indicate relatively stable mortality levels over the 7-year period and bring about gender differences in adult life expectancy that average 12.5 years. This difference exceeds the typical gender disparity in adult mortality, and has been decomposed by age and cause using verbal autopsy data.