Civil registration systems are used to record vital events, including births, deaths, and marriages. They have the potential to serve as the main source of national vital statistics. However, in many developing countries, civil registration and vital statistics systems are weak or nonexistent; as a result, key demographic, fertility and mortality statistics are not available on a continuous basis and do not cover large segments of the population.

The first step in addressing such weaknesses is to undertake a review of current status with a view to identifying areas requiring improvement and prioritizing actions. The World Health Organization (WHO), working with the University of Queensland in Australia, developed a rapid and comprehensive guide to support countries that wish to improve their civil registration and vital statistics systems.

CRVS functionality: Results of CRVS Rapid Self-Assessment in countries (21) of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2012-2013

Coverage of birth and death registration in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2012-2014

Medical certification of Death (%)in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2012-2014