In 2021, a total of 34,927 deaths were registered in Eastern Visayas, an increase of 37.0 percent from 25,492 in 2020. This corresponds to an average of 95 deaths per day, which translates to 4 deaths per hour or 1 death every 15 minutes.

 

 

The highest number of registered deaths by usual residence occurred in Leyte Province with 13,177 (37.9% share), followed by Samar Province with 4,859 (14.0% share), and Northern Samar Province with 4,308 (12.4% share). The Province of Biliran registered the least number of deaths in 2021 with 1,494 deaths.

 

 

In Eastern Visayas, the number of male deaths (19,098 or 55.00% share) was higher than female deaths (15,633 or 45.00% share). This is equivalent to a sex ratio of 122 which indicates that there were about 122 male deaths per 100 female deaths. Moreover, sex ratio of over a hundred means that more male deaths were registered compared with their female counterparts.

 

In 2021, 24,834 or 71.5 percent occurred at home while 9,765 or 28.1 percent died in any health facilities. Some (0.4% share) died in places other than home or health facilities, such as in streets, public places, onboard a vehicle, airplane, or vessel while in transit among others.

 

 

 

In 2021, out of the 34,731 registered deaths, 58.3 percent (24,248) were unattended, while the remaining 39.7 percent (13,801) were attended. Attendant refers to private physician, public health officer, hospital authority, or any other allied health care provider who provided medical attendance to the deceased at the time of death.

 

Infant deaths are deaths that occurred before the child reaches the age of 1. In Eastern Visayas, 418 infant deaths were registered in 2021. The three provinces with the highest number of infant deaths recorded were Leyte (174 or 41.6%), Northern Samar (75 or 17.9%), and Southern Leyte (64 or 15.3%). Biliran has the least number of recorded infant deaths at 23 or 5.5 percent.

 

 

In Eastern Visayas, 266 of 466 or 57.1 percent of infant deaths were attended by hospital authority but 106 or 22.7 percent of infant deaths were unattended. One in ten infant deaths was attended by private physician, while 34 or 7.3 percent of infant deaths were attended by public health officer

 

 

A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of pregnancy, from any cause related to, or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental cause.” In 2021, a total of 65 women in Eastern Visayas were identified of having died of maternal causes. Sixteen or 24.6 percent of maternal deaths were recorded at age group 30-34 years old while 17 out of 56 or 26.2 percent were recorded at age group 35-39 years 

old. Around 8.0 percent of maternal deaths occurred at age group 15-19 years old.

Regional Director