By Than Zaw (Homalin)
Birthand death registration are fundamental components of a country’s vital statistics system because they record births and causes of death. Birth registration provides legal proof of identity, which helps individuals access their rights and essential services. Likewise, death registration records the cause of death and supplies important information for public health and policy planning. Together, these records provide valuable demographic data that support national development policies and future planning. According to the World Bank, around one billion people worldwide do not have legal documentation, and most of them were never registered at birth. In addition, nearly two-thirds of all deaths globally are not officially registered.
Birth and death statistics form an important part of demography. Just as population data is collected through censuses, the registration of births and deaths is another key method of gathering demographic information.
Legal Identity
A birth certificate is a child’s first legal right and serves as the most basic proof of identity. Without it, children may face difficulties in accessing essential services such as education, healthcare, and social protection. In addition, the absence of a birth certificate can limit their ability to exercise important rights, including voting, inheriting property, and travelling or entering other countries.
A death certificate is also important for heirs, as it is required to settle property matters, claim life insurance, and legally remarry. In addition, information on the cause of death provides essential support for health policymakers. Understanding the main causes of death helps identify common diseases, including infectious conditions, and enables timely and effective responses. Reliable birth and death statistics are essential for effective governance.
They provide important information about population growth and distribution, which helps determine where schools, hospitals, and other infrastructure should be built. In addition, they support better resource allocation, including social protection programmes and government budget planning.
High-Quality Birth and Death Statistics
High-quality birth and death statistics are essential for forecasting future population growth and for developing and implementing effective social, economic, and health policies and strategies. When these statistics are accurate and reliable, they help clearly identify population change patterns, allowing policymakers to design and implement better responses based on actual population needs and to allocate resources more efficiently.
However, incomplete or delayed registration can reduce the quality of birth and death data, which ultimately affects the accuracy of population statistics. In the field of birth and death statistics, complete and reliable data are crucial for understanding future trends of populations.
Therefore, continuous efforts are needed to produce accurate and high-quality statistics, supported by modern technology. Since population censuses are conducted only once every ten years, high-quality birth and death registration data can help estimate future demographic changes more accurately and provide timely insights into population trends. Modern technological advancements have made data collection faster, more accurate, and timely. They have also improved data management, enhanced data storage, and strengthened the quality of statistical reporting. As a result, the development of technology plays an important role in improving the quality of a country’s vital statistics.
Mobile Birth and Death Registration (MBDR)
To make the registration of birth and death data in Myanmar’s civil registration system faster and more efficient through an e-platform, the Mobile Birth and Death Registration (MBDR) system was introduced.
Using mobile tablets, this system began collecting birth and death information in Mon State in 2019. Mobile registration not only provides real-time data but also reduces paperwork and minimizes the difficulties of longterm document storage and management. Verbal Autopsy (VA) is a method used to determine the probable cause of death (CoD) in cases that occur outside hospitals or clinics. Trained health workers interview family members or caregivers of the deceased to collect information about the symptoms and circumstances before death.
This method was implemented in Myanmar from 2016 to 2021 to identify the main causes of death in out-of-hospital cases across 42 townships. The collected data were recorded using tablets and the Open Data Kit (ODK) application, and then analyzed using the Tariff Method in the Smart VA Desktop Application. The cause of death was determined through an automated diagnostic system. Overall, the use of technology in Verbal Autopsy has improved the quality and accuracy of mortality statistics, especially for deaths occurring outside health facilities.
Meeting Human Resource Needs
The effective use and management of technology require skilled human resources. Therefore, investing in people is just as important as investing in technology itself. Well-trained and competent staff help ensure the longterm sustainability of systems and the achievement of organizational goals.
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