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Birth registration in India: status and strategies for improvement

admin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:35:37 GMT

Strategy paper produced by Plan International for India in improving its birth registration system. It is not clear when this paper was produced.

An Overview of the Sample Registration System in India

admin — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:29:58 GMT

Abstract: There are four major sources of vital statistics in India, namely; (a) the Sample Registration System (SRS), (b) the Civil Registration System (CRS), (c) Indirect estimates from the decennial census and (d) Indirect estimates from the National Family Health Surveys (NFHS). The SRS is the most regular source of demographic statistics in India. It is based on a system of dual recording of births and deaths in fairly representative sample units spread all over the country. The SRS provides annual estimates of (a) population composition, (b) fertility, (c) mortality, and (d) medical attention at the time of birth or death which give some idea about access to medical care. The population composition from SRS coupled with the decennial census counts, enables fairly reliable estimate of population in the intercensal periods. Average time to publication of SRS annual reports is about two years. SRS estimates are generally valid and reliable for the country as a whole and for bigger states with more than 10 million population. Recently the sample size of SRS has been increased to allow for estimates by natural divisions within the bigger states. Evaluations during 1970s and 1980s showed that completeness of recording of births and deaths by the SRS, was generally good, and errors in recording of events minimal. However, systematic evaluation of the SRS has not been taken up for quite some time. Indirect estimates for 1990s and after suggests that registration completeness has worsened and interstate variations widened. A pluralistic evaluation framework is recommended.

The paper was presented at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference & Global Health Information Forum 2010.

Author: Prasanta Mahapatra, Institute of Health Systems, Hyderabad, AP500004, INDIA; Email:pmahapat@ihs.org.in

Registration of births, stillbirths and infant deaths in Jamaica

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:33:54 GMT

This study addresses an important obstacle to registration coverage in the developing countries where the informant is a member of the family. The implementation of the recommendation to transfer the responsibility for the registration of hospital births and deaths (including stillbirths) to the medical institution where the event occurs should do much to improve the completeness of registration of livebirths, deaths and stillbirths.

This paper was previously pulished in the International Journal of Epidemiology and is presented in this publication series with the kind permission of the Editor of the journal.

The technical paper was published in 1998 (#72) by IIVRS.

Death registration and mortality statistics in Colombia

admin — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:57:26 GMT

This paper is being published in English with the kind pennission of the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadistica (DANE) of Colanbia. It was originally published in Spanish in their Boletin Mensual de Estadistica,

No. 447. The paper presents a brief history, an evaluation, and recommendations for improvement of death registration in Colombia.

The technical paper was published in 1993 (#54) by IIVRS.

Birth Registration in China: Practices, Problems and Policies

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:17:37 GMT

Abstract:

Data from interviews with staff of government offices, relevant literature and national statistics are used to analyze laws, regulations, rules, policies and operational procedures concerning birth registration in China. The current status of and existing problems with birth registration, as well as the influences of delayed birth registration on children’s rights and welfare are examined. Finally, barriers to birth registration in China are explored and strategies to improve the process of birth registration and to protect children’s rights are proposed. The main findings are as follows: First, the rate of birth registration in China is low and in rural areas and for marginalized children, it is even lower. Second, the dual birth registration system and interference from the Population and Family Planning department cause serious administrative difficulties. Third, the serious problems surrounding birth registration in China are a result of interactions among the interests of different stakeholders, while most stakeholders are unaware of the dimensions of the problems. Strategies and policies to promote birth registration are discussed.

The article was prepared in 2009.

Universal Birth Registration: Mobile National Civil Registration in Cambodia

admin — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:23:37 GMT

The document provides information on the pilot project on mobile national civil registration in Cambodia. Plans to further launch the project at national level are discussed.

The document was prepared by Plan International Cambodia.

Registry of Civil Marriages - Brunei Darussalam

admin — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:11:10 GMT

The document describes the procedures to follow when registering a civil marriage in Brunei Darussalam. The document was obtained from the government website of Brunei Darussalam in 2010.

Status of Mortality Statistics of Bangladesh

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:22:20 GMT

The article made an attempt to highlight the recording and reporting mechanisms of mortality data as regards in-hospital deaths as well as deaths occurring in the community, completeness of the death registration, use of ICD guidelines, utilization of the mortality data, death registration Acts and Enforcement.

The article was published in 2007 by WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.

The Current Status of Fetal Death Registration in the United States

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:33:29 GMT

Various limitations of fetal death data are discussed in this paper and improvements which could be made in registration are indicated. Impending revisions of standard certificates make such changes particularly pertinent.

The article was prepared by Helen C. Chase, published in 1966 on the American Journal of Public Health, Vol 56, No. 10, pages 1734-1744

limitations of fetal death data are discussed in this paper and improvements which could be made in registration are indicated. Impending revisions of standard certificates make such changes particularly pertinent.The article was prepared by Helen C. Chase, published in 1966 on the American Journal of Public Health, Vol 56, No. 10, pages 1734-1744

Appraisal of Vital Statistics in Latin America

admin — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:23:19 GMT

The article discusses the state of development of the principal aspects of registration services, and also on the recommendations formulated in this respect by international agencies, conferences, and meetings.

The article was published in 1964 on The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 2, Part 2. (Apr., 1964), pp. 86-117

Vital Registration in Europe - the Development of Official Statistics and Some Differences in Practice

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:14:37 GMT

The article describes the history of population census and vital registration in Europe. The article was published on Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Vol. 91, No. 3. (1928), pp. 346-393.

PROJET DE PLAN D'ACTION POUR L'AMELIORATION DES SYSTEMES D'ENREGISTREMENT DES FAITS D'ETAT CIVIL ET D'ETABLISSEMENT DES STATISTIQUES DE L'ETAT CIVIL EN AFRIQUE

admin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:08:34 GMT

Le présent document a pour objet de proposer des stratégies en vue d'améliorer rapidement les systèmes d'enregistrement des faits d'état civil et d'établissement des statistiques de l'état civil dans la région Afrique; il s'appuie sur des expériences tentées par d'autres pays dans le cadre de projets portant sur ce domaine et sur les recommandations formulées à ce sujet lors de diverses réunions de groupes de travail, tenues en Afrique en particulier. Après avoir étudié les conditions de l'enregistrement des faits d'état civil et de l'établissement des statistiques de l'état civil dans un certain nombre de pays africains sur une période de dix ans, le secrétariat de la CEA conclut que dans leur quasi-totalité, les recommandations issues des réunions restent valables, mais qu'elles doivent être actualisées pour tenir compte des nouvelles réalités. C'est pourquoi le projet de plan d'action proposé ici s'inspire du programme défini par le Groupe de travail sur la mise en place et l'expansion des systèmes d'enregistrement des faits d'état civil et de la collecte des statistiques d'état civil en Afrique, de 1985, d'une étude réalisée par la CEA en 1990 sur l'exécution dudit programme et des rapports par pays établis en vue du présent atelier.

The draft action plan was presented at the African Workshop on Strategies for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems in 1995.

Management role and responsibility in civil registration and vital statistics systems

admin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:24:56 GMT

The article describes the organizational structure of the civil registration and vital statistics systems, the role of the management office, legal requirements on various aspects related to the systems, inter-agency coordination, assessment and planning, record management, external participation and comparative analysis on the data obtained.

The article was presented at the African Workshop on Strategies for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems in 1995.

Data collection methods and techniques providing vital statistics and rates

admin — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:44:20 GMT

The article discusses sources of vital statistics - civil registration, population census and sample surveys as well as indirect estimates for fertility and mortality statistics. Advantages and disadvantages associated with each method are also covered.

The article was presented at the African Workshop on Strategies for Accelerating the Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems in 1995.

Organization of national civil registration and vital statistics system: an update

admin — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:36:12 GMT

The infrastructure of civil registration and vital statistics (CR/VS) systems can be quite complex and the organizational patterns varies greatly among countries. Although the United Nations Statistical Division had previously conducted questionnaire surveys to ascertain the organization structure of CR/VS systems, in 1984 the IIVRS made a limited survey to broaden the coverage of information on national CR/VS systems. The results of that survey were reported in the IIVRS Technical Papers No. 29 in 1986. In 1994, another questionnaire survey was conducted to update the information obtained a decade earlier. This survey also provided an opportunity to obtain data for the newly established nations of the former USSR and eastern Europe. This paper is essentially an update of the study published in Technical Paper No. 29.

The article is technical report No. 63 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1995.

Completeness and reliability of birth and death notification in Kuwait

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:08:19 GMT

The research reported in this paper was completed prior to the August 1990 and reflects the situation existing at that time. The authors remind us that a careful and systematic review of the quality of reporting of vital events is essential for the most effective use of vital records and vital statistics for medical and public health research, planning, and program evalution. The authors identify some reasons for the incomplete and inaccurate reporting of some items on the birth and death notification forms, and offer some recommendations for improvement.

Although many countries still face serious problems in attaining complete reporting of vital events, they must nevertheless pay attention to improving he quality of reporting. In this way the civil registration and ital statistics systems will be able to provide data users with reliable information which can be effectively used in a variety of programs, even before complete coverage of vital events is accomplished.

The article is technical report No. 49 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1992.

Organization and status of civil registration and vital statistics in the Arab countries

admin — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:15:44 GMT

This report brings together information on the organization of the civil registration and vital statistics systems in the Arab countries. These are the countries with a common language, religion, and culture located in the subregions of Asia and Africa. Rather than approach these countries on a regional basis, it seems more convenient and logical to view the problems of civil registration and vital registration of the Arab countries as a group. It is hoped that the information in this report will provide useful background data for planning strategy for the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics in the Arab countries.

The article provides information on organizational structure of the civil registration and vital statistics systems as well as the status of civil registration and vital statistics in the Arab countries.

The article is technical report No. 33 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1988.

Recommendations from Regional Conferences and Seminars on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:47:33 GMT

Over the years, a number of meetings and conferences on civil registration and vital statistics have been held in different regions of the world under various sponsorships. Almost all of these conferences have resulted in recommendations for the improvement of different civil registration procedures and methods. This is a compilation of those recommendations classified under various subject headings, and indicate the range of subject matter coverage in those conferences.

Although there are some regional differences in the problems, the basic problems in the developing countries are incomplete registration coverage and poor quality of collected information. The deterrents to improvement are inadequate funding and the lack of understanding and appreciation by the public of the importance of civil registration.

The articles summarizes recommendations from those meetings and conferences. The article is technical report No. 18 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1982.

Major Obstacles to Achieving Satisfactory Registration of Vital Events and the Compilation of Reliable Vital Statistics

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:44:00 GMT

This Technical Paper is a condensed version of the Conference Room document prepared by Nora P. Powell, IIVRS Consultant, 21st Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission held 12-21 January 1981 in New York. It is based on the problems perceived and reported in response to a survey conducted by the IIVRS.

The article is technical report No. 15 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1981.

The Development of the Vital Statistics System in Egypt

admin — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:43:44 GMT

Egypt has a long history of registration activities dating back to antiquity. The modern registration era is said to go back to 1839, the year when the first report of the Registrar General of England and Wales was issued. In this technical paper, General Gamal Askar traces the development of civil registration in Egypt in recent history, and describes how national vital statistics are produced.

Egypt is one of the small group of countries where the local health administration has responsibility for the collection of vital statistics data. The manner in which these health bureaus, the civil registration offices of the Ministry of Interior, and the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics work to produce national vital statistics for Egypt is one of the subjects of this paper.

The article is technical report No. 13 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1981.

Registration of Vital Events In Iraq

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:35:37 GMT

Iraq is one of the countries where the birth and death registration function is in the Ministry of Health. The primary responsibility for registration is in the hands of the attendant at birth or the medical attendant of the deceased. In the event that there was no attendant at birth, the parents or relatives must report the birth. In case of death without medical attention, the nearest health office is to be notified by the relatives of the deceased, or the report must be made by the mayor with two witnesses.

Registration of births and deaths in Iraq is deficient. In order to provide a valid measure of population change, a sample registration system was put into operation in 1973. This supplemental source of data has also provided a measure of under registration of births and deaths which are referred to in this report.

The article covers the registration procedure and functions of registrars in Iraq.

The article is technical report No. 10 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1980.

Civil Registration In the Republic of Argentina

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:46:09 GMT

The article discusses aspects of civil registration system in Argentina, including civil registration legislation, the organizational structure and technical aspects of the civil registration system, and the coordination mechanisms adopted in the country. Sample registration forms are also included.

The article is technical report No. 5 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1979.

Vital Registration and Marriage in England and Wales

admin — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:42:25 GMT

The article provides information on historical background of the registration function in England and Wales; functions of local registration service and General Register Office; as well as registration procedure for live births, stillbirths, deaths and marriages.

The article is technical report No. 4 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1979.

System of Identity Numbers in The Swedish Population Register

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:54:06 GMT

A personal identity number system is an essential feature of any kind of a large scale registry. A system of unique universal numbers facilitates access to various data sources making feasible scientific and administrativeuses of data not otherwise possible.

This description of a personal identity numbering system in an operating population register is timely for countries considering the establishment of identity numbers. For others, the technical and administrative problems make for interesting study.

Identity numbers, especially universal numbers, immediately give rise to concern about invasion of privacy of individuals. This was a matter of national concern in Sweden which led to the establishment of the Data Inspection Board. This Board authorizes the establishment and maintenance of a data bank about individuals, and issues directives on the management and maintenance of data to obviate any undue invasion of privacy of individuals.

The following aspects are covered in the article: various registrations in Sweden; construction of personal identity (ID) number; administration of the ID number; use of ID number; advantages and challenges using ID system; privacy issues; and future plans.

The article is technical report No. 3 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics (IIVRS), published in 1979.

Vital statistics system of Japan

admin — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:28:18 GMT

The strength of the Japanese vital statistics system is derived from its relationship to the KOSEKI or family registration system The declarations of births, deaths and marriages serve to update the family composition in conformance with the family registration law Because the value of the KOSEKI system is universally recognized in Japan, and used widely for the authentication of the relationship between the various members of the registered family, the registration of vital events is virtually complete

Although the family register was established for social and legal purposes, it has been found to be an invaluable source of information for scientific studies In particular, the family register provides a unique opportunity for positive identification of deaths occurring in cohorts selected for epidemiologic studies.

The article covers the following aspects: development of vital statistics in Japan; the family registration system (KOSEKI); method of collecting data on vital events; evaluation; processing and dissemination of vital statistics.

The article is technical report No. 2 of the International Institute for Vital Registration and Statistics, published in 1979.