2.2 Population-level vital statistics surveillance

Vital statistics encompasses data on births, deaths, life expectancy and sometimes also information on chronic conditions. These data provide key insights into important population-level health trends in a country. It allows countries to monitor changes in population makeup, inform public health policies and/or track progress of public health interventions over the long term. Using this kind of data is a form of public health surveillance. Different countries achieve this data collection in different ways.

Example: The Thai Civil Registration (CR) surveillance system was implemented in 1982. The system collects data such as births, deaths and health insurance coverage from all provincial, district and municipality-level registration offices, which supply data via an online centralised surveillance system. This system relies on unique citizen identification numbers to automatically track and collect data on new registrations, which could indicate births or individuals newly settling in Thailand. The CR system also allows Thai residents to access healthcare under Thailand’s universal healthcare coverage scheme. When a patient visits a hospital, the CR data is retrieved to check the individual’s personal data (for example, where they live) and health insurance benefits the individual in entitled to, allowing for rapid registration at the point of care. Furthermore, linkage between the CR system data and healthcare provider data (for example, patient health records) allows individuals to benefit from seamless care across different health care providers nationwide. If you have time, see further information about this system [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (World Bank Group, 2019).