133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wel ington 6140
New Zealand
+64 4 496 2000
Ryan Potts
By email:
[FYI request #12586 email]
Ref:
H202002135
Dear Mr Potts
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) on 8 April 2020
for:
"The number of reported deaths in the period January-March 2020 of which the
underlying cause was influenza or pneumonia.
The average number of deaths by influenza/pneumonia in January-March over the
previous five years.”
I am unable to answer part one of your request under section 18(g) of the Act, as the Ministry
of Health (the Ministry) does not yet hold this information and does not believe that another
agency would hold this.
In response to part two of your request, I have outlined the previous five years of data
available (2012-2016). The Ministry’s mortality data is coded using the International Statistical
Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).
The number of deaths with an underlying cause of death of influenza or pneumonia (ICD-10
codes J09-J18) registered in those years where the death occurred in January-March was:
Table 1. Number of Deaths ICD-10 Codes J09-J18 (January – March)
Year
Number of Deaths
2012
124
2013
114
2014
96
2015
125
2016
110
If you have any further interest in this data, the Ministry publishes mortality data online here:
https:/ www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/mortality-data-
and-stats
There are over 30,000 deaths recorded in New Zealand every year. The Ministry releases
official figures on cause of death once there is a recorded cause for the majority of these
deaths. This is to ensure the Ministry does not misrepresent the situation. This sometimes
takes several years to complete as coroners often conduct extensive inquiries before
rendering their verdict.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any of my
decisions made in relation to your request for information.
Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website.
Yours sincerely
Gaynor Bradfield
Manager, Office of the Deputy-Director General
Data and Digital
Document Outline
