Reporting system on mortality statistics in Lao People's Democratic Republic

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Demography
• Health Information Systems

Background:

• Mortality statistics in Lao PDR are not well-established, leading to a lack of accurate and timely death information.
• Existing systems rely on paper-based resident registration, death notification documents, death certificates, and family census books.
• The current process faces challenges, particularly in capturing causes of death for individuals who die outside of health facilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on the existing system and processes for generating mortality statistical data in Lao PDR.
• To identify challenges and limitations within the current mortality data collection methods.
• To emphasize the necessity of a comprehensive and integrated mortality reporting system.

Main Methods:

• Description of the paper-based resident registration system.
• Explanation of the death notification and certification process, including variations for deaths occurring at home versus in health facilities.
• Discussion of the ongoing development of ICD-10 adoption for health facility death notifications.

Main Results:

• The current system involves multiple steps and authorities, including village offices, health facilities, district Home Affairs, and Public Security offices.
• Death notification documents are issued by health facilities or village offices, with verbal reporting required for home deaths.
• Challenges exist in applying ICD-10 coding to deaths occurring outside health facilities, which constitute the majority.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive and integrated mortality reporting system is crucial for Lao PDR.
• Improvements are needed to ensure accurate and timely collection of mortality statistics, especially for out-of-facility deaths.
• An enhanced system is necessary for developing effective national health policies and welfare programs.