Location Southern Asia island in the Indian Ocean

Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India Map references: Asia Area: Total: 65, 610 sq km Land: 62, 705 sq km Water: 2, 905 sq km Mid. Year Population - 2010 Total : 20, 653, 000 Male : 10, 249, 000 Female : 10, 404, 000 Life expectancy - 2006 Male : 71. 7 years Female : 76. 4 years Literacy (Age 15 – 24 Yrs. )-2007 Total : 97. 5% Male : 96. 9% Female : 98. 1% The Country…

DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRAR GENERAL MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND HOME AFFAIRS www. rgd. gov. lk ESA/STAT/AC. 219/11

Our Mission "Our mission is the Registration of Legal documents pertaining to Movable and Immovable Properties in Sri Lanka and Registration of Marriages, Births and Deaths, the primary domestic events of the populace; the preservation of such documents and the issue of certified copies there from at request and thereby assisting the populace to protect their rights. "

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Civil Registration Registrar General Addl-R. G Dist. Sect. /Addl. R. G(25) Div. Sec/Dist. Registrar (330) Div. Registrar (914)

Administrative Structure

Civil Registration. ØRegistration of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Including such events of Sri Lankans abroad. ) ØRegistration of court orders on adoption of children and re-registration of births of such children. ØRegistration of Kandyan Marriages and Divorces. ØRegistration of Muslim Marriages & Divorces. ØPreparation of vital statistics in respect of births, marriages and deaths

Administrative system of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system Ministry of Public Administration & Home Affairs Registrar General’s Department Vital Statistics Unit Ministry of Finance & Planning Department of Census & Statistics

Legal requirements for registering death/specifying cause § Registration of births, deaths and marriages was initiated under the § § § Dutch rule 1640 -1798 First British Enactment on registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1815 – Regulation No. 07 (Maritime districts only) Second British Enactment on registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1822 – Regulation No. 09 (Maritime districts only) General system of registration of birth and death to cover all districts 1847 Ordinance N 0. 06 Provisions affecting the registration of births and deaths were replaced by Ordinance No. 18 – 1867 and 1868 Registration remained optional Registration of births and deaths became compulsory in 1897 The present law – Births and deaths Registration Act 1951

Current Vital Registration System § Decentralized § § 9 Provinces 25 Districts 330 Divisional Secretaries Divisions 914 Birth & Death Registration Divisions § Births & Deaths are registered by § § § Medical Registrars - in proclaimed towns Birth and Death Registrars – other towns Birth, Death and Marriage Registrars – villages

Vital Statistics Data Collection System Coding, editing and processing data Scanning Returns Collecting and checking accuracy and completeness Completing Returns on Birth and Death Vital Statistics Unit 33 Scanning Centers 330 Divisional Secretaries 914 Birth & Death Registration Divisions

Vital Statistics Data Collection System Single form for each marriage/birth /death Format to be used for scanning Should be completed at the time of registration Information on Cause of death obtains from the original records § Verbal autopsy form for obtaining cause of death occur at homes § Should be handed over to the DS office before 10 th of each month by registrars § §

Birth Returns

Death Returns

Vital Statistics Data Collection System Completed forms are checked for the completeness and companied with the second copy of the marriage/birth / death Should be handed over to the scanning unit of the Land Registry in each following month

Scan the documents : Statistical Returns B 33 form which contains the cause of death certificated by the Doctor B 18 form which contains the cause of death certified by the Inquirer into Sudden Death

Send the duplicates to the Central Record Room Send images of scanned documents to the VSU

Transferring information § From Registrars to Divisional Secretaries Offices – completed Statistical Returns § From Divisional Secretaries Offices to District Scanning Unit – checked Statistical returns § From District Scanning Unit to the Vital Statistics Unit - through e-mail / CDs

Vital Statistics Processing System District Office 1 District Office 2 Head Office (VSU) District Office 3 Scanning Centers (District Offices) Formless Document systems

Vital Statistics Processing System VS forms Coding VS forms (coded) Scanning Imagers Process Imagers data 1234234 1343444 1133122

Who should report the birth § The Medical Officer of the Gov. hospital (3 Months) § Medical officer of the private hospital (3 Months) § Grama Niladari (7 days) § Parents § Occupant

Who should report the death § The Medical Officer of the Gov. hospital (3 Months) § Medical officer of the private hospital (3 Months) § Grama Niladari (7 days) § Judicial officer § Occupant

Main Indicators derived by VS for Monitoring and Evaluation of the health sector Infant Mortality Rate Child Mortality Rate Maternal Mortality Rate Age - specific Mortality Rate Cause - specific Mortality Rate

Indicators are not 100 % accurate due to Under coverage of death registration in rural areas Incompleteness of the information included in statistical returns Inaccuracy of information on cause of death

Possibilities of under registration of death Ø Some hospitals where the Medical Registrars are not available Ø Some estates from which the deaths do not report in time to the Medical Officer Ø Some of the Inquirers into Sudden Deaths do not send their reports to the Registrars directly Ø Some persons do not get any interest to registrar deaths due to unawareness of the importance of registering a death and also the deceased person has nothing to claim

VS data cannot released in time Delay in receipt of statistical returns from D. S office to the VS unit Delay in handovering statistical returns from registrars to D. S. offices

Deaths are registered on the place of occurrence Ø 914 Birth and Death Registration Divisions Ø Out of the above 65 are called as medical registrar’s divisions located in the major hospital premises Ø A death Should be informed to the relevant Registrar within 5 days after the death Ø But registration can be done within 3 months time period at the Registrar’s Office on the declaration make by the informant/relatives Ø After 3 months and before one year the registration should be done after an inquiry held at the District Registrar’s Office Ø After one year the report of the inquiry should be examined and approved by the Zonal Assistant Registrar General

If the death occurs at a Government Hospital ØIt is the responsibility of the Medical Officer in-charge of the hospital to give information regarding events occurring in such hospital ØPrivate hospitals are considered as a residence and the responsibility of registering the death rests on the relatives of the deceased

If the death occurs at homes v. The obligation for giving information rests on the nearest relative present at death v. The Grama Niladhari (Administration Officer at the village level) has to inform to the Registrar and the relevant person also has to go to the Local Registrar’s Office with the document issued by the Grama Niladhari v. Even the death can be registered without informing to the Grama Niladhari, if the Register is satisfied with the information is 100 percent correct

If the death occurs at an estate Ø An ‘estate’ means any land of which 100 or more acres are under cultivation and which is situated in a district declared under the Medical Wants Ordinance to be an Estate Medical District Ø Births, deaths and still births that occur in estate scheduled under the Medical Wants Ordinance are registered by the District Registrar of the division in which such estates are situated Ø The Superintendent of the Estate is required by law to furnish reports of deaths and still births to the appropriate District Registrar/Divisional Secretary through the District Medical Officer

If the death occurs of a Sri Lankan living abroad v. Provisions exists in the Consular Act (No. 4 of 1981) for registration of birth, death and marriage to be registered at the Sri Lankan Diplomatic Missions in the relevant country v. Certain officers in such diplomatic missions are Additional District Registrars of Marriages, Births and Deaths

Death Reporting Process District Registrar DS Office Registrar of Birth, Death &Marriage Medical Registrar MOH Grama Niladharie Medical Officer Estate Superintendent Homes Govt. Medical Institutions Estates

Certification of Cause of Death B 33 Form Medical Officer Hospital Within 24 hours Of admission Verbal Autopsy form B 18 Form GN / Relative Inquirer into Sudden Deaths Home Sudden deaths Outside the Hospital / Home

Ways of deaths are registered v 45% of deaths are registered on the document issued by the doctor with proper cause of death v 25% are registered on the document issued by the Inquirer into sudden deaths – no proper cause of death given most of the time v 30% of deaths are registered on the declaration made by the relatives of the deceased – cause of death?

Completeness of Coverage of Death Registration Sector 1953 1967 1980 Urban 94. 7 100. 0 92. 9 Rural 86. 9 91. 7 92. 2 Estate - 100. 0

Possibilities of under registration of death Ø Some hospitals where the Medical Registrars are not available Ø Some estates from which the deaths do not report in time to the Medical Officer Ø Some of the Inquirers into Sudden Deaths do not send their reports to the Registrars directly Ø Some persons do not get any interest to registrar deaths due to unawareness of the importance of registering a death and also the deceased person has nothing to claim

Steps taken to make the death registration 100% Ø Amending the Birth & Death Registration Act and make new rules and regulations to make the death registration compulsory Ø Introducing awareness programmes to the public – posters , leaflets, hand books and other communication programmes Ø Increase the penalty for non registration of events

THANK YOU ! D. P. Rajapaksa Senior Statistician Vital Statistics Unit Registrar General’s Department Sri Lanka.