Causes of death

CBS codes the causes of death according to the classification system drawn up by the World Health Organization (WHO). This means that for each deceased person, one disease or event is identified as the underlying cause of death. The underlying cause of death is (a) the disease or conditions that triggered the series of events leading directly to death, or (b) the circumstances (accident, suicide or violence) that caused the fatal injury that triggered the series of events leading directly to death.