Civil registration system and its use for vital statistics

Presentation plan Civil registration systems and vital statistics systems 2. Recommended items in the statistical report 3. Tabulations and Calculation of fertility and mortality rates using civil registration data

Civil registration systems Continuous, permanent, compulsory, universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of vital events in accordance with the legal requirements in each country

Civil registration system ` Hospital Central office (national level) Local registration office Midwife, father, mother, other

Vital events in a civil registration system United Nations recommended events to be registered: Live birth Death Annulment Judicial separation Adoption Legitimation Recognition Fœtal death Marriage Divorce

Civil registration system: Functions Legal: vital records are the legal proof of the occurrence of the event Administrative: vital records are used to assist other agencies to accomplish their respective purposes Statistical: vital records are the best source of continuous statistics given the universal coverage of civil registration, and it is not subject to memory lapses and sampling errors Legal: essential legal documents on name, date/time/place of birth Adm: accuracy of age; social and public health programs, security, population register

Vital statistics system It collects information by civil registration or enumeration on the frequency of occurrence of specified and defined vital events as well as relevant characteristics of the events themselves and of the persons concerned The production of vital statistics covers all the steps from the data collection up to their dissemination: collection, compilation, processing, analysis, evaluation, presentation and dissemination of data in statistical forms

Fertility and mortality statistics obtained from civil registration data Registration forms Vital record Statistical report - Checked and transmitted to the institutions responsible for vital statistics - Component of the register - Needs to be preserved in a formal and permanent way In some countries and for certain events, the same form is used as: Legal document Medical certificate Statistical report Thus, the same document is used as proof of the occurrence of the event, as the vital record and statistical report

Characteristics of the child Sex Birth weight Recommended items in the statistical report for the calculation of fertility statistics (cont.) Characteristics of the child  Sex Birth weight Characteristics of the parents Date of birth of the mother/age Marital status of the mother, Date of actual marriage of the mother, Educational attainment, Gestational age, Sex: sex ratio at birth Birth weight: study infant mortality and health during infancy and childhood Mother’s age: itself or with other variables, for differentials in fertility, for welfare and social policy, e.g. family planning Marital status of mother: differential in fertility, intervention Gestational age: medical

Recommended items in the statistical report for the calculation of fertility statistics (cont.) Characteristics of the parents (cont.): Number of children born alive to mother during her entire lifetime, Number of children born alive to mother during her entire lifetime and still living, Fœtal deaths to mother during her entire lifetime, Date of last previous live birth (or interval since last previous live birth) Survival of last live birth Usual residence of mother Date of birth (age) of father Live birth order (number of children born alive): fertility pattern and fertility changes Foetal death order: health and medical intervention Birth interval: fertility pattern and fertility changes Usual residence: programme planning, evaluation and research in many fields of application, such as health, education, housing, population estimation and projection, and social and economic policy.

Recommended items in the statistical report for live births Birth record and/or birth statistical report Characteristics of the event: Date of occurrence and registration Difference between the two -> delays Place of occurrence Tabulate for urban/rural or small admin. Subdivisions -> medical facilities Place of registration Follow back for clarification Assess local registration work load Obtain optimal geographic distribution of registration points Difference of data of occurrence and registration: should be analysed – about delays Place of occurrence: for small administrative subdivisions, urban/rural, plan for medical facilities Place of registration: for following back for clarification, local registration work load, optimal geographic distribution of registration points. Namibia: quite a few information was not collected on the form. – geographical of events, and basic information about parents.

Recommended items in the statistical report for live births (cont.) Birth record and/or birth statistical report Characteristics of the event (cont.): Type of births (single, twin, …): Record for both live-born infant and dead-born foetus Attendant at birth Physician, nurse, nurse-midwife, midwife, other paramedical personnel, lay person, or not stated.

Recommended items in the statistical report for deaths Death record and/or death statistical report Characteristics of the event Date and place of occurrence, Date and place of registration, Underlying cause of death, Certifier Characteristics of the deceased Date of birth (age), Usual place of residence (of mother if infant death), Sex, Marital status Underlying cause of death: composed of two parts: according to WHO, Cause of death : a) All those deseases, morbid conditions or injuries which either resulted in or contributed to death, and b) the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced any such injuries. cause initiale : a) the desease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or b) the circunstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury. Certifier Phisician or surgeon who attended the decedent in his terminal illness, medical practioner who examined the body after death , a coroner or other medical-legal authority, a midwife, a nurse (other trained person), or a layman.

Tabulation programme for fertility and mortality data Tables providing required data for the study of levels and trends and geographic differences Specifying data quality Minimal list of tabulations: Principles and recommendations for a vital statistics system, rev. 2 (UN – 2001) p.105

Need for tabulating events by place of usual residence Calculation of fertility and mortality rates On the basis of registration data Step 1: Numerator from civil registration data Step 2: Denominator (population at risk) by using data from censuses or sample surveys or population registers Need for adopting the same definitions in civil registration, censuses and surveys. E.g. definition of place of usual residence; geographic areas Need for tabulating events by place of usual residence Need for reconciling the time reference between civil registration and source used for the denominator

Use of civil registration for vital statistics – points to retain Use of civil registration data, even if incomplete Use several sources for vital statistics: To evaluate the quality of statistics To complement the information Need for same definitions …, collaboration among agencies responsible for sources used Use vital records/statistical reports that are informative and transmit them to the NSOs Disseminate the data 2. e.g. Botswana (Namibia), the districts by the registrar is different from the census districts – calculation of rates + comparison (difficulties) 3. No coordination or working relationship (Tanzania); delays in transmission of data: (zambia)

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