The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), will organize the second CRVS Research Forum on 30 March - 1 April 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Members and Associate Members of ESCAP have undertaken a review of their progress since the inception of the Asia Pacific CRVS Decade in 2014. Data from questionnaires distributed in 2024 to National CRVS focal points have been compiled into a Report on the 2025 Review of Progress Made on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific After a Decade of Getting Every One in the Picture.
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The CRVS applied research training (CART) initiative focuses on enhancing CRVS systems through supporting applied research on strategies, interventions, and tools. This involves designing projects to address practical questions, employing robust methodologies, and identifying key personnel for effective implementation and publication. The need to strengthen practitioners' research capacity is evident, as highlighted in the Asia-Pacific CRVS research forum held in 2023.
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To meet the targets of the CRVS Decade, a Business Process Improvement approach can help improve and streamline Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system. The CRVS Systems Improvement Framework help CRVS stakeholders assess, analyze and redesign, to improve user experience and produce timely vital statistics.
Read MoreThe CRVS community in Asia and the Pacific has reflected on where it stands at the midpoint of the CRVS Decade (2015-2024) during the Second Ministerial Conference. Following this celebration of progress, many of our partners and member countries are leading actions to fill the remaining gaps. To learn more about CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, please subscribe to our newsletter, which offers a monthly panorama of CRVS actions throughout the region Previous editions can be found here. |
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organisation Inte
The Pacific Community (SPC) in collaboration with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) will provide targeted technical advice and workshops in Kiribati to support the Government of Kiribati in various aspects of CRVS system strengthening. Activities will include the following:
Join the World Bank & Vital Strategies for a workshop linking civil registration and digital ID to strengthen digital public infrastructure (Global DPI Summit 2025).
Key Details
📅7 November 2025
🕘9:00–11:00 SAST
Our community newsletter puts a spotlight on people who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to support CRVS programmes in Asia and the Pacific, raise awareness of CRVS issues or lead CRVS improvement efforts in their home country or in the region. This month, we would like to dedicate this issue of Insight to Dr. Lakshmi Somatunga.
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The Malaysian government has emphasized digital economy development in Budget 2026, with targeted allocations to support national digital infrastructure. A key focus is the expansion of the myDigital ID initiative, aimed at enhancing secure access to public services.
The budget includes dedicated funding to advance the program, which seeks to register 15 million users by the end of 2026. The initiative is positioned as a foundational element in Malaysia’s broader digital transformation strategy.
A significant portion of global deaths remains unregistered, limiting the effectiveness of public health planning and policy. Improving the quality and coverage of mortality data is increasingly recognized as a priority for health systems worldwide.
Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has published the country’s first-ever national mortality reports, drawing on data from the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) (2019–2023) and Verbal Autopsy (2023) systems.
Enabled by the expansion of MCCD to 594 hospitals, the findings highlight a major shift in public health: non-communicable diseases now account for the majority of deaths, with 68% in communities and 57% in facilities, while child mortality remains a concern, with 18% of facility deaths among children under five.
