Practical guide on the improvement of death registration and causes of death processes within a civil registration and vital statistics system

Abstract

Alongside other vital events, death is a top priority vital event recommended for legal registration by the United Nations. The cause of death is among the core characteristics of a legally registered death. To standardize the registration of deaths and their associated characteristics, and the comparability of data derived thereof, it is prudent to adopt a standard set of definitions of relevant key concepts. To develop a civil registration and vital statistics system that is focused on death registration and collect cause of death information, a national coordination committee should be established or strengthened. The main functions of the committee should be to coordinate the assessment and improvement process, ensure the full participation of key stakeholders, foster advocacy and high-level visibility and generate political commitment and resources. As a precaution, countries are advised to assess the functioning of their civil registration and vital statistics systems according to a three-tier categorization. This document, practical guide on the improvement of death registration and causes of death processes within a civil registration and vital statistics system , covers the following topics: An introduction to civil registration and vital statistics systems ; Legal, organizational and infrastructural requirements for efficient death registration and cause of death systems ; Innovations and novel approaches to improve death registration and cause of death registration processes ; Business process re-engineering; Strategies for improving death registration and collection of cause of death information and Monitoring and evaluation.