Implementation research for developing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Systems: lessons from Indonesia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Demography

Background:

• Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems are crucial for monitoring health indicators.
• Indonesia's CRVS system faces challenges in producing reliable vital statistics for national health policy.
• A national strategy was launched in 2019 to improve CRVS coverage and data quality by 2024.

Purpose of the Study:

• To guide the implementation of Indonesia's national CRVS strategy through formative and implementation research.
• To assess the feasibility and sustainability of revised death reporting procedures at the local level.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a CRVS assessment and gap analysis using an international framework.
• Developed a revised business process model and field instruction manual for death reporting.
• Pilot-tested reporting procedures in two districts (Malang and Kudus) with training and data analysis.

Main Results:

• Achieved high death reporting completeness (83%–89%) in pilot sites.
• Derived plausible cause-specific mortality profiles, requiring further validation.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of implementing revised local-level death reporting procedures.

Conclusions:

• Revised death reporting procedures are feasible and can be sustained through institutionalization and capacity building.
• Findings support accelerating the development of Indonesia's CRVS system for evidence-based health action.
• Improved CRVS data quality is essential for effective national health policy and programme evaluation.