Death Rate

Outcome

% of children who died from any cause while registered in the treatment program

This indicator measures the proportion of children discharged from an acute malnutrition treatment programme whose final treatment outcome was death while they were registered in the programme. It is a programme performance indicator that should be interpreted alongside recovery, default and non-recovery; it is not a population mortality rate.

For the reporting period, divide the number of children whose final treatment outcome was death while registered in the programme by the total number of children with a final treatment outcome, and multiply the result by 100.

The denominator should include children classified as recovered, died, defaulted or not recovered, using the definitions in the applicable national protocol. Internal transfers between inpatient and outpatient care are not final treatment outcomes.

Calculate and report the indicator separately for SAM and MAM.

When aggregating results from several treatment sites, sum the numbers of deaths and total discharges across the sites first and then calculate the percentage; do not calculate an unweighted average of site-level percentages.

This data can be disaggregated by sex, age group and geographic area, and, if relevant and feasible, also by disability status and treatment site.

1) The indicator does not require a separate survey – all data can be gained from the treatment program’s regular records.

  

2) Sphere 2018 sets humanitarian performance targets of less than 10% died among discharges from therapeutic care for SAM and less than 3% among discharges from targeted supplementary feeding programmes for MAM. These are humanitarian performance targets and should not be interpreted as proof that overall programme quality is satisfactory. Investigate increases or unusual patterns in deaths even when the percentage remains below the relevant threshold.

   

3) Interpret death rate together with recovery, default and non-recovery rates rather than in isolation. Where the outcome of defaulters is unknown, recorded deaths may be underestimated because some children recorded as defaulters may in fact have died. Investigate the timing and causes of deaths where reliable information is available. When the number of discharges is small, report the number of deaths and total discharges alongside the percentage and interpret short-term fluctuations cautiously.

Also consider using the following indicators:

• Recovery (Cure) Rate (shows the proportion of discharges that recovered and should be interpreted alongside deaths)

• Default Rate (helps identify retention problems and potentially unobserved outcomes affecting interpretation of deaths)

• Non-Recovery Rate (captures other unsuccessful final treatment outcomes)

• Coverage of Acute Malnutrition Treatment Services (shows whether children needing treatment are being reached and complements outcome quality measures)