An Assessment of LAC's Vital Statistics System : The Foundation of Maternal and Infant Mortality Monitoring

Vital records, the registration of births, deaths, marriages and divorces, and the vital statistics derived from these records serve two important purposes. Firstly, vital records are legal documents, but the focus of this review, is the role of vital records to create demographic and epidemiological statistics that are used in monitoring trends and developing health policies and programs. Vital statistics are classic public goods, and the World Bank is keenly interested in assisting countries in the Latin America region to strengthen their vital statistics systems. This assessment reviews the status and evolution of vital statistics systems in Latin America and makes recommendations for improving their coverage, quality, and timeliness. The strongest systems in the region on the measures of coverage, quality and timeliness are found in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. This review found that countries in Latin America are well ahead of many other regions in the world in developing their vital registration systems. Yet challenges remain before these systems can support results-oriented health programs. Concerted efforts to improve these systems are likely to generate large payoffs in terms of supporting better public policies. Vital statistics should very soon replace surveys in Latin America as the most important primary source of information about births and deaths given their potential to more effectively guide policymaking and monitor results related to the maternal and infant health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Danel, Isabella, Bortman, Marcelo
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2008-05
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, BABIES, BABY, BASIC HEALTH, BCG, BIRTH ATTENDANTS, BIRTH COMPLICATIONS, BIRTH DEFECTS, BIRTH RATES, CAUSES OF DEATH, CENSUS OF POPULATION, CENSUSES, CENTER FOR HEALTH, CENTRAL AMERICA, CERTIFICATION, CHILD HEALTH, CHILD MORTALITY, CHILDBIRTH, CHRONIC DISEASES, CITIES, CITIZEN, CITIZENS, CIVIL REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, CLINICS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMPLICATIONS, DEATH CERTIFICATES, DEATH REGISTER, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, DIABETES, DIAGNOSIS, DISEASE, DISEASE CONTROL, DISSEMINATION, DIVORCE, DOCTORS, FACT SHEETS, FAMILY FORMATION, FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, FATHER, FATHERS, FERTILITY, FETAL DEATH, FETUS, FLOW OF INFORMATION, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, GOVERNMENT OFFICES, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH CONDITIONS, HEALTH INDICATORS, HEALTH INEQUITIES, HEALTH INFORMATICS, HEALTH INFORMATION, HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM, HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEMS, HEALTH MANAGEMENT, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH PLANNING, HEALTH POLICIES, HEALTH PROBLEMS, HEALTH PROGRAMS, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SERVICE, HEALTH SERVICES, HEALTH SURVEYS, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH SYSTEMS, HEALTH WORKERS, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HOME DELIVERIES, HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, HOSPITAL BIRTHS, HOSPITAL PERSONNEL, HOSPITALS, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, HUMAN RIGHT, IMMIGRANTS, IMMUNIZATION, IMPACT EVALUATIONS, INCOME, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, INFANT, INFANT DEATH, INFANT DEATHS, INFANT HEALTH, INFANT MORTALITY, INFANT MORTALITY RATE, INFANT MORTALITY RATES, INFECTIONS, INFORMATION SYSTEM, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INHERITANCE, INJURIES, INJURY, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSURANCE, LACK OF AWARENESS, LATIN AMERICAN, LAWS, LEADING CAUSES, LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH, LIMITED RESOURCES, LIVE BIRTH, LIVE BIRTHS, LOW BIRTH WEIGHT, MALARIA, MALNUTRITION, MARKETING, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH, MATERNAL DEATH, MATERNAL DEATHS, MATERNAL HEALTH, MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, MATERNAL MORTALITY, MATERNAL MORTALITY DATA, MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES, MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO, MATERNITY HOSPITALS, MEASLES, MEDICAL CARE, MEDICAL CONDITIONS, MEDICAL STAFF, MEDICAL SYSTEMS, MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MORTALITY, MORTALITY RATE, MOTHER, MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS, MULTIPLE BIRTHS, MUSCLES, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL LAW, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONAL LEVELS, NEONATAL MORTALITY, NEWBORNS, NUMBER OF DEATHS, NUTRITION, OLDER PEOPLE, PERINATAL MORTALITY, PHYSICIAN, PHYSICIANS, POLITICAL SUPPORT, POPULATION COUNCIL, POPULATION FUND, POPULATION SUBGROUPS, PREGNANCY, PRENATAL CARE, PREVALENCE, PROGRESS, PUBLIC EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH STATISTICS, PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, PUBLIC POLICIES, QUALITY CONTROL, QUALITY OF HEALTH, REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, REPRODUCTIVE AGE, REPRODUCTIVE AGE MORTALITY, RESEARCH PROGRAM, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, RESOURCE LIMITATIONS, RISK FACTORS, RURAL AREAS, SKILLED ATTENDANCE, SKILLED BIRTH ATTENDANCE, SKILLED BIRTH ATTENDANTS, SKILLED HEALTH PERSONNEL, SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, STILLBIRTH, SUICIDES, SYMPTOMS, SYPHILIS, TB, TERMINATIONS OF PREGNANCY, TRAUMA, TREATMENT, TUBERCULOSIS, UMBILICAL CORD, UNDER-FIVE MORTALITY, UNFPA, URBAN AREAS, VACCINATION, VACCINE, VIOLENCE, VITAL STATISTICS, WOMAN, WOMEN'S HEALTH, WORKERS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/05/9727154/assessment-lacs-vital-statistics-system-foundation-maternal-infant-mortality-monitoring http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13646
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