The Belgian Mortality Monitoring

Last updated on 26-2-2024 by Natalia Bustos Sierra

Project duration:

January 1, 2004

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Project with no end date

In short

Be-MOMO is the surveillance of all-cause mortality in Belgium, at the national and regional levels. Carried out on a weekly basis, it can detect and quantify in near real time unusual mortality that may result from disease outbreaks such as influenza, or from extreme weather or environmental conditions such as cold or heat waves, ozone or fine particle peaks.

Project description

Be-MOMO is the surveillance of all-cause mortality in Belgium

In the concept of syndromic surveillance, the Belgian Mortality Monitoring (Be-MOMO) can detect and quantify in near real time unusual mortality that may result from disease outbreaks such as influenza, or from extreme weather or environmental conditions such as cold or heat waves, ozone or fine particle peaks. Be-MOMO sends alert reports to the authorities when the situation requires it.

Early warning of excess mortality

The Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases Service of Sciensano analyses on a weekly basis the mortality data provided by the Belgian National Register. The mortality monitoring model is designed to serve as a tool for rapid detection and quantification of statistically significant excess mortality. We identify excess mortality by comparing the number of observed deaths with the number of expected deaths based on the mortality of the last 5 years. Excess mortality is calculated by age group, gender and region.

Be-MOMO assists public health decision-making

A timely assessment of the impact on all-cause mortality may be useful to guide or reinforce new or existing public health measures, e.g. vaccinations for influenza and the national heat action plan. Moreover, mortality monitoring can be used to evaluate possible effects of public health measures by comparing periods before and after the implementation of the intervention. Be-MOMO is also involved in the European mortality monitoring project, EuroMOMO.
For more information, follow Be-MOMO on Epistat.

Results

The surveillance of all-cause mortality is divided into two annual reports according to season. The summer report covers the vigilance period of the heatwave and ozone peak plan (weeks 20 to 40), and the winter report covers weeks 41 to 19. The Sciensano weekly influenza surveillance bulletin also reports on winter mortality.