A workshop on civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) was organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean and held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 January to

• discuss and analyse the rapid assessment results and country reports
• identify gaps, challenges and prospects for contributing knowledge and practical guidance for CRVS improvement based on the rapid assessment analysis
• introduce participants to the tools of CRVS comprehensive assessment and identify countries that are ready for a comprehensive assessment.

Participants were those with responsibilities for the collection and analysis of vital statistics on fertility, mortality, and causes of death, including officials working in government at ministries of health and interior, national statistics offices, civil registration departments or birth and deaths registries.