Setting
Dar es Salaam is the largest and most prosperous city in
Tanzania with a population of 2.5 million as of 2005.19 The
Tanzanian government’s definition of the poverty line for 2000–
2001 was 7253 Tanzanian shillings per capita per 28 days.
Given this, 28.7%, 15.8% and 14.3% of the city were classified
as low, middle and upper-middle economy areas, respectively.
In Tanzania, medicolegal autopsies are compulsory in cases of
death due to non-natural causes. In the period between June
and December 2005, a total of 248 deaths by homicide in Dar
es Salaam region, as defined by the International Classification
of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes X85-Y09, were confirmed after
medical and legal investigations by the Muhimbili National
Hospital Mortuary. ICD-10 codes X85-Y09 define unnatural
death by homicide as those due to injuries inflicted by another
person with intent to injure or kill, by any means, excluding
deaths as a result of war and legal interventions.