Strengthening civil registration and vital statistics in the Asia-Pacific region: learning from country experiences

In the present paper, the civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system experiences of five countries in the region – Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and the Philippines – are highlighted. In the case studies, a brief account is provided of the progress, challenges and lessons learned on key aspects of importance for CRVS systems in each country, and a glimpse is offered of the diversity of CRVS systems across the region. Some of the key strategies implemented by countries to address challenges in CRVS systems include legal and policy changes; improved collaboration across multiple sectors, in particular between the registration and statistical authorities; the growing involvement of the health sector in the notification of vital events and in improving the ascertainment of causes of death; public information campaigns; and capacity development for the analysis, dissemination and use of vital statistics for policy and planning purposes.