Legal and Regulatory Review Toolkit for CRVSID

A workshop for government ministries launches a comprehensive legal review of CRVS-ID systems in Vietnam.

In collaboration with Vital Strategies, and with support from the Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems and other Data for Health partners, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator has developed a Legal and Regulatory Review Toolkit that serves as a guide for analyzing the legal and regulatory framework of a country's Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Identity Management (CRVSID) system. Based on international best practice set out in documents from the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international bodies, the Toolkit helps government stakeholders identify gaps or obstacles in their CRVSID legal framework and highlight opportunities for improvement.

Why is this Toolkit necessary?

WHO estimates that 65% of all deaths worldwide—35 million a year—go unrecorded, and millions of deaths lack a documented cause. Without this information, government officials, public health leaders and funders cannot make informed decisions on priorities, including where and how to direct public health resources.

Validation

This Toolkit has been used, or is currently being used, to assess the CRVSID legal frameworks in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Customizing the Toolkit

Recognizing that not all countries have the same needs, the Toolkit consists of thirteen chapters that address different aspects of CRVSID systems. Legal reviewers should complete the chapters that are relevant to the stakeholders of their country’s civil registration, vital statistics and national ID management systems.

Many of the chapters will be applicable to all countries. These chapters include: Chapter 2 (Structure of the Civil Registration Agency), Chapter 3 (Registration of Birth and Death), Chapter 4 (Stillbirth Reporting and Registration), Chapter 5 (Certifying Cause of Death), Chapter 8 (Inclusion of Women and Children), and Chapter 9 (Vital Statistics).

Other chapters, such as Chapter 10 on national ID systems and Chapter 12 on population registers, will only be relevant in those countries that have such systems. Some chapters, including Chapter 6 (Medicolegal Death Investigation), Chapter 7 (Marriage and Divorce Registration), and Chapter 11 (Equal Access for LGBTI Individuals), and Chapter 13 (Personal Privacy and Data Protection), may be completed in those countries where these are topics of interest.