1. The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of Vital statistics
Data Analysis and Report Writing workshop
21-31st May,
Nadi, Fiji

2. Outline What are Vital statists? Why we need Vital statistics
Sources of Vital statistics data
Civil Registration as a source of vital statistics

3. What do we mean by vital statistics?
Definition:
The collection of statistics on vital events in a lifetime of a person as well as relevant characteristics of the events themselves and of the person and persons concerned.
Vital events: are events concerning life and death of individuals, as well as their family and civil status
The UN recognises 10 Vital events for which data are to be collected: Live births, Deaths, foetal deaths, marriages, divorce, Annulment, Separation, adoption, legitimation, Recognition

4. Priority events
The UN provides three classifications of vital events :
Vital events proper
Dual events
Vertical Family events
Because they pertain to individuals existence and survival, vital event proper (Live births, deaths and foetal deaths) are ranked to be of highest priority among other events.
A governments timely knowledge of the occurrence of these critical events can save a life, family, a village, a community and a country!

5. Why we need vital event data
Vital Statistics provide a bulk of the data needed for monitoring of social and economic development in countries.
Accurate data on births, deaths, and cause‐of‐death are essential for:
Monitoring the health of a population;
Identifying health priorities and evaluating health and program impacts;
Providing access to real‐time information on population size and structure; and
Providing the necessary data for the calculation of all population‐based development indicators
Used to track development progress.
SDG indicators

6. Uses of vital statistics
Vital Event
Rates and indicators
Numerator (Civil registration)
Denominator by source
i) Live Births
Crude Birth Rate
Live births
Mid-year population*
Sex ratio at birth
Live births (Male)
Live births (Female)
General Fertility rate
Mid-year female population (15-49) *
Age specific fertility rate
Live births to women of a particular age group).
Mid-year population of female of same age-group*
% of low birth weight births
Low birth weight infants born alive
Live births in one year
 % of live births to unmarried women
Number of children born alive to unmarried women
ii) Death
Crude Death rate
Deaths in one year
Infant mortality rate
Deaths of infants (< 1 year)
Child Mortality rate
Deaths of infants (< 5 years)
Neonatal mortality rate
Neonatal deaths
Post-neonatal mortality rate
Post-neonatal deaths
Maternal mortality ratio
Maternal deaths
Age specific mortality rate
Deaths in a particular age group
Mid-year population of same age-group*
Cause-specific mortality rate
Number of deaths from a specific cause
Total population* *
Requires data from other source in the absence of population register

7. Example: 2013 Ebola Outbreak in Liberia
g_of_Ebola_infected_and_dead

8. What are the sources of vital event data?
There are two main categories of data sources for which vital statistics data can be drawn from:
Periodic collections– Censuses, household sample surveys conducted say 5 yearly, 10 yearly which collect retrospective info about the number and characteristics of birth and death
Administrative (routine collections)—Civil registration systems, health information systems, police records (for events of unnatural deaths), other operational admin databases
Key difference in these sources is : (i) the frequency for which the are undertaken i.e. “stock” vs “flow”(ii) their scope of coverage

9. Key features of these data sources
Periodicity
Sample frame
Period of interest
Data collection
(mortality level data)
CoD Data Collected?
Census
Periodic –
5-10 years
Whole Population
Retrospective
Direct and indirect No
Survey
DHS
~ 5 years
Selected sample – representative of whole population
Direct – complete birth history
MICS
~ 5-10 years
2 stage clustered sample – representative of whole population
Indirect - partial birth history (CEB/CS)
Routine Admin records
Civil Registratio n
Continuous
Whole population (depending on coverage)
Current
Direct reporting of event
Yes
Health databases
Whole population / Hospital cases only
Demographic surveillance Sites
Selected areas – usually not representative of whole population over time.

10. Civil registration as a source of vital statistics
The continuous, permanent , compulsory and universal recording of occurrence and characteristics of vital events occurring to a popn in accordance with the laws of a country
The UN recognises civil registration as being the most reliable source of vital event data and statistics. Key features of the system:
Universal
Continuous (incidence vs. prevalence statistics)
Permanent
Compulsory
However, civil registration systems are often weak and incomplete in most developing countries. Therefore, it has been necessary to use alternate data sources
This method should be distinguished from other methods of gathering data about the population because it is mandated by law to be continuous and permanent. [Para 280 U.N P&R

11. Civil registration as a source of vital statistics
In some instances data collected through health information systems/ through health databases are found to be more complete than civil registration data
With the incompleteness of CR systems, censuses have been used as the primary sources of vital event data and statistics in the Pacific.
The increasing need to report against key population health indicators ( as required by SDGs) calls for strong Administrative collections

12. Where does your data come from?
Think about the data you brought to the course and where it comes from…
Why was it collected?
How was it collected and by whom?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of that data collection?
What impact is that likely to have on your data?