All-cause mortality trends in Dikgale, rural South Africa, 1996-2003.

Aims: The Dikgale Demographic Surveillance System (DDSS) site, established in 1995, is one of three rural surveillance sites in South Africa. This paper describes detailed mortality patterns of a rural African population in the central region of Limpopo Province.

Methods: These data were based on yearly household visits to collect data on vital events, covering 63, 873 person-years of observation over eight years.