Summary Key Points:
Mortality
In the first quarter of 2016, 12 mortalities were reported from Azraq camp with a Crude Mortality Rate (CMR) of (0.2/1000 population/month; 2.8/1000 population/year) which is higher than the reported CMR in Azraq camp for 2015 and is lower than both the reported CMR in Syria prior to the conflict in 2010 (0.33/1000 population/month; 4/1000 population/year)1 as well as the reported CMR in Jordan in 2013 according to two sources; World Bank Indicators and Jordan Department of Statistics respectively; (0.33/1000 population/month; 4/1000 population/year)1 and (0.48/1000 population/month; 5.7/1000 population/year) .
Among the 12 deaths, 1 was neonatal with neonatal mortality rate of 3.9/1000 livebirths which is lower than Jordan’s neonatal mortality rate of 14.9/1000 livebirths; 58% were children under 5 years of age.
CMR is influenced by the size of the population. Thus, despite the fact that CMR was calculated based on the median population in Azraq in the first quarter of 2016 which was 17,346, it should be kept in mind that this figure was fluctuating all through the year due to continual influx into the camp as well as refugees leaving the camp back to Syria or to reside in urban areas of Jordan.
Furthermore, the cases of deaths reported in Azraq are the cases that took place inside the camp as well as cases referred to health facilities outside the camp. Nevertheless, this system does not capture death cases that take place outside the camp who have not followed the usual referral procedures; i.e. cases that by themselves directly approached health facilities outside the camp and have not been reported by their family members back in the camp.
Taking the two above mentioned factors into consideration and their relative importance, the calculated CMR for Azraq in the first quarter of 2016 is likely to be underestimated.