Rapid Assessment of National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (Death and Birth) in Iran based on WHO Framework

Civil registration records are the best sources of vital statistics; however، such systems are often weak or incomplete in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the registration situation using rapid assessment of national civil registration and vital statistics systems (death and birth) in Iran based on the WHO Framework. The rapid assessment tool consists of 25 questions about function of the civil registration and vital statistics systems. The questions are grouped into 11 areas. Each question allows countries to select one of four scenarios describing a typical range of hypothetical situations. Registration infrastructure and resources، organization and functioning of the vital statistics system، storage and transmission had the highest score (100%). The score of the ICD coding practices was 33%. The coder qualification and training، quality of coding and practices affecting the quality of cause-of-death data had the lowest score (50%). The total score was 61; equivalent to 83% of scores. This meant that، although registration and vital statistics systems in Iran are functional، it seems to be inadequate. According to the assessment results، most weaknesses were attributed to the quality of death and cause of death coding. It is necessary to design appropriate policies and planning to resolve the weaknesses.