Verbal Autopsy of Maternal Deaths, Stillbirths, and Neonatal Deaths in BetterBirth

Verbal autopsy is a technique used to determine the cause of death by asking caregivers, friends or family members about signs and symptoms exhibited by the deceased in the period before death. This is usually done using a standardized questionnaire that collects details on signs, symptoms, complaints and any medical history or events. The cause of death, or the sequence of causes that led to death, are assigned based on the data collected by this questionnaire and on any other available information. The social autopsy tool is used in conjunction with the verbal autopsy tool to explore the non-biological factors contributing to a death, including the social, behavioural and health systems determinants of maternal and child deaths.