Improving the quality and use of birth, death and cause-of-death information

Overview

Civil registration systems are used to record vital events – including births, deaths, and marriages – and have the potential to serve as the main source of national vital statistics. However, in many developing countries, civil registration and vital statistics systems are weak or nonexistent; as a result, key demographic, fertility and mortality statistics are not available on a continuous basis and do not cover large segments of the population. A first step in addressing such weaknesses is to undertake a review of current status with a view to identifying areas requiring improvement and prioritizing actions.

This package of materials – referred to as the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance tool – provides comprehensive guidance on how to systematically evaluate the quality and functioning of civil registration and vital statistics systems. The package consists of two components: a detailed assessment tool, plus a rapid assessment tool available as text or as a spreadsheet, for ease of compilation of data. Both tools have been extensively peer reviewed by technical experts, and field tested in three countries. The aim is to help responsible authorities obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their civil registration and vital statistics systems, and generate the evidence base for corrective action.