The European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network monitors weekly excess all-cause mortality in 27 European countries or subnational areas. During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe in spring 2020, several countries experienced extraordinarily high levels of excess mortality. Europe is currently seeing another upsurge in COVID-19 cases, and EuroMOMO is again witnessing a substantial excess all-cause mortality attributable to COVID-19.

The aim of this research was to determine the relative prevalence at birth of major malformations among the different religious communities in Israel as a way to better understand their causes. We collected data on malformations present among liveborn infants in a 10-year period from the national registry of birth defects according to the religious affiliation. In a total of 1,203,763 liveborn infants, the prevalence of major malformations was in a similar range among Jews and Christians and much higher among Muslim and Druze. These observations may be explained by differences between these communities, in particular, the rates of consanguinity and of therapeutic abortions. The Muslim and Druze communities in Israel are those with the highest consanguinity rates and the lowest rates of termination of pregnancies when a malformation is diagnosed. Analysis of the differences in the rate of malformations at birth in different communities is important for Public Health planning. It may also help to delineate causes and serve as the basis for research.

Background We aimed to build a basic daily mortality curve in Israel based on 20-year data accounting for long-term and annual trends, influenza-like illness (ILI) and climate factors among others, and to use the basic curve to estimate excess mortality during 65 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 stratified by age groups. Methods Using daily mortality counts for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2019, weekly ILI counts, daily climate and yearly population sizes, we fitted a quasi-Poisson model that included other temporal covariates (a smooth yearly trend, season, day of week) to define a basic mortality curve. Excess mortality was calculated as the difference between the observed and expected deaths on a weekly and periodic level. Analyses were stratified by age group. Results Between 23 March 2020 and 28 March 2021, a total of 51 361 deaths were reported in Israel, which was 12% higher than the expected number for the same period (expected 45 756 deaths; 95% prediction interval, 45 325–46 188; excess deaths, 5605). In the same period, the number of COVID-19 deaths was 6135 (12% of all observed deaths), 9.5% larger than the estimated excess mortality. Stratification by age group yielded a heterogeneous age-dependent pattern. Whereas in ages 90+ years (11% excess), 100% of excess mortality was attributed to COVID-19, in ages 70–79 years there was a greater excess (21%) with only 82% attributed to COVID-19. In ages 60–69 and 20–59 years, excess mortality was 14% and 10%, respectively, and the number of COVID-19 deaths was higher than the excess mortality. In ages 0–19 years, we found 19% fewer deaths than expected. Conclusion The findings of an age-dependent pattern of excess mortality may be related to indirect pathways in mortality risk, specifically in ages <80 years, and to the implementation of the lockdown policies, specifically in ages 0–19 years with lower deaths than expected.

We evaluated the trends and risk factors in infant mortality in Israel over five decades (1950-2000), based on data obtained from the official notifications of live births, and death certificates. Until the 1960s the main cause of infant mortality was infectious disease; this was replaced by congenital anomalies in Moslems and Druzes, and preterm birth in Jews and Christians. In 2000, there were 746 infant deaths, and the national infant mortality rate (IMR) was 5.4 per 1000 live births (Jews 3.9; [95% CI 3.5, 4.3]; Moslems 9.2 [8.3, 10.3]; Christians 3.6 [1.4, 5.8]; Druzes 6.3 [3.6, 9.0]). Between 1955 and 2000 the overall IMR declined sevenfold (absolute declines of 56.8, 56.3, 45.0 and 28.3 per 1000 live births, in Moslems, Druzes, Christians and Jews, respectively). The reduction in IMRs between 1990 and 2000 in all religious groups (>45%) exceeded the goal set by the World Summit for Children in 1990 of 33%. In 2000, the main risk factors were birthweight < 1500 g [relative risk (RR) = 69], major congenital malformations (RR = 22.0 [18.8, 25.7], and multiple births (RR of 9.3 and 4.2 in triplets and twins respectively). We conclude that the marked decline in IMRs in Israel over five decades reflects a major improvement in population health. Today, infant mortality in Israel represents a unique combination of high rate of congenital malformations among Moslems, where consanguineous marriages are common, and medical termination of pregnancy of malformed fetuses are infrequent; and relatively high IMRs from preterm birth in Jews, associated with high rates of assisted reproduction.

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