Source of Vital Statistics in Ethiopia United Nations Expert Group Meeting on International Standard for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System New York, June 2011 Samia Zekaria Gutu Director General Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia

Outline of the presentation Background Source of Vital Statistics Sample Vital Statistics Registration Adopting the UN Principles and Recommendation Model Civil Registration as a Source of VS Drafting a New Law in Ethiopia The Leadership Role of the CSA on the Technical Aspects Way Forward

Background Geographically, Ethiopia is situated in the horn of Africa between 3 and 5 degrees north latitude and 33 and 48 degrees east longitude. The total area of the country is about 1.1 million square kilometers. Total counted population of the country on May 2007was reported to be million with annual growth rate of 2.6. Ethiopia is administratively sub-divided into nine regional states and two city administrations with a Federal System of a Government.

Background The topographic features range from the highest peak at Ras Dashen, (4,550 meters above sea level), down to the Affar Depression at 110 meters below sea level. The climatic condition of the country varies with the topography, ranging from 47 to 10 degrees Celsius. Ethiopia is a home to about 80 ethnic groups that vary in population size from more than 18 million to less than 1000 persons. In general, Ethiopia is the second largest countries in Africa in terms of population size and total area with diversified culture, linguistic composition and large ethnic compositions.

Source of Vital Statistics Ethiopia is one of African countries that do not have a working conventional Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Systems. Even though there are so many articles stating the necessity of CRVS system in the country, many of them remain on paper due to the absence of assigning proper institutions and less emphasis.

Source of Vital Statistics (cont’d) As a result, Ethiopia has not yet installed a system of civil registration and vital statistics that enables to produce of annual based population statistics data. Currently the country’s major sources of vital statistics are censuses and surveys that could provide information for particular or specific time periods as opposed to continuous gathering of information through vital registration.

Sample Vital Statistics Registration In Ethiopia, institutional based statistical data generation is only five decades old, which is very young, compared to many other countries. The Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (CSA) has made numerous attempts to lay the foundation for the establishment of civil registration and vital statistics system in the country. In 1977, 1982, and 1983 the CSA initiated an experimental sample vital statistics registration.

Sample Vital Statistics Registration (cont’d) Subsequently, a continuous sample vital statistics registration /dual-records/ system was also implemented in 1986 and 1998 in some selected urban and rural areas of the country. The main objectives of these initiatives were to test whether it would be possible to carry out civil registration and vital statistics by providing technical and material assistance to urban and rural dwellers associations (i.e. to the lowest administrative levels of the country).

Adopting the UN Principles and Recommendation In 1999 CSA conducted a technical review program on the methodologies followed in the study for the establishment and development of vital statistics system through the registration method. After the review and extensive debate, the management of the then Authority decided to quit the experimental sample vital registration and household survey, which is categorized as dual recording data collection method that was followed as one methodology for the establishment of CRVS system in the country. Therefore, all efforts were shifted to the principles and recommendations of the UN that were put in the guideline and methodologies for the establishment and development of CRVS system in developing countries.

Adopting the UN Principles and Recommendation (cont’d) After aborting sample and survey based vital registration exercises, the CSA fully devoted to the development of conventional civil registration and vital statistics systems. The CSA had also shouldered technical aspects of the initiative and led the government towards conventional civil registration system through: –close communication, collaboration and involvement of regional states, –technical debates with the academics and professionals, and –advising UN agencies and NGOs to align their interventions to the UN principles and recommendations of CRVS systems

Model Civil Registration as a Source of VS By incorporating the past experiences learned from the previous countrywide Sample Vital Statistics Registration of late 1970s and 1980s, the UNICEF assisted Model Civil Registration that run in three Regional States showed positive and worthwhile outcomes in The main objectives of this model registration program was to test and adopt civil registration and vital statistics technical instruments in the country as stated in the UN recommendation. It was realized that to fully utilize Civil Registration as a source of Vital Statistics, legal framework need to be in place.

What were the Lessons from Model Registration? Major Lessons were to: –devise a proper civil registration and vital statistics administration and organization that conforms to the regions’ socio-cultural and geo- political set-up; –demonstrate the operation, maintenance of civil registration and vital statistics systems in the regional states, –compile and disseminate vital events statistics information on a continuous and current basis; –ensure continuous, and permanent recording of vital events proper legislation that enforces nationwide need be put in place.

Drafting a New Law in Ethiopia According to the UN Principle: Legal framework is an essential component for efficient management, operation and maintenance of the Civil Registration system. The civil registration law should specifically provide clear guidelines including the type of organizational structure. Ethiopia has been engaged in drafting a new Civil Registration Law since 2009 which took some time due to the need to further study the possibility of combining National Identification System with CR Law.

The Leadership Role of the CSA on the Technical Aspects In the Ethiopian context the information of vital events is expected to be transferred to the CSA and its role would be properly defined in the redrafted law based on the UN Principles and Recommendation. The CSA has incorporated CRVS in its National Strategy for Statistical Development (NSDS) and formulated a framework strategy and a work program in the next five years (2009/ /14). In this NSDS document, one of the major statistical strategic themes that has been endorsed by the Statistics Council of the country is the establishment of sound Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems.

The Leadership Role of the CSA on the Technical Aspects (cont’d) Currently high momentum is created in data demand for vital statistics by regional governments and the justice system. This is an opportunity for the CSA to continue playing its leadership role by responding proactively in the technical aspects. In many African countries the limitation of vital statistics is its coverage when it come to its completeness, however, the existence of over 30 thousand health extension agents in the country is considered to be an advantage in the Ethiopian context, as they are considered to be instrumental in the implementation of the law. The MoH has prepared and provided family book to each health extension agent to record health status including vital events that has occurred in a family such as birth and death. This could be utilized as an input to Civil registration especially in rural parts of the country.

Way Forward The CSA and the forthcoming Civil Registration and National Identification Agency will continue collaborating in addressing the challenges The draft proclamation establishes a central office, at the federal level, for the registration of vital events, which also coordinates and facilitates the registration of vital events throughout the country. It is also entrusted to create the necessary conditions for exchange of information using appropriate modern technology. This proclamation is expected to provide a compulsory, universal, permanent and continuous system of civil registration to be in place.

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