Registrar General's Department of Sri Lanka - Document Registration and Vital Statistics

1. Location: Southern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of India The Country… Map references:Asia Area:Total: 65,610 sq km Land: 62,705 sq kmWater: 2,905 sq km • Mid.Year Population - 2010 • Total : 20,653,000 • Male : 10,249,000 • Female : 10,404,000 • Life expectancy - 2006 • Male :71.7 years • Female : 76.4 years • Literacy (Age15 – 24 Yrs.)-2007Total: 97.5% • Male : 96.9% • Female : 98.1%

2. DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRAR GENERAL MINISTRY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND HOME AFFAIRS www.rgd.gov.lk ESA/STAT/AC.219/11

3. Our Mission "Our mission is the Registration of Legal documents pertaining to Movable and Immovable Properties in Sri Lanka and Registration of Marriages, Births and Deaths, the primary domestic events of the populace; the preservation of such documents and the issue of certified copies there from at request and thereby assisting the populace to protect their rights."

4. REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Civil Registration Registrar General Addl-R.G Dist.Sect./Addl.R.G(25) Div.Sec/Dist.Registrar (330) Div.Registrar (914)

5. Administrative Structure

6. Civil Registration. • Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Including such events of Sri Lankans abroad.) • Registration of court orders on adoption of children and re-registration of births of such children. • Registration of Kandyan Marriages and Divorces. • Registration of Muslim Marriages & Divorces. • Preparation of vital statistics in respect of births, marriages and deaths

7. Administrative system of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system Ministry of Public Administration & Home Affairs Ministry of Finance & Planning Registrar General’s Department Department of Census & Statistics Vital Statistics Unit

8. Legal requirements for registering death/specifying cause • Registration of births, deaths and marriages was initiated under the Dutch rule 1640-1798 • First British Enactment on registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1815 – Regulation No.07 (Maritime districts only) • Second British Enactment on registration of births, deaths and marriages in 1822 – Regulation No.09 (Maritime districts only) • General system of registration of birth and death to cover all districts 1847 Ordinance N0.06 • Provisions affecting the registration of births and deaths were replaced by Ordinance No.18 – 1867 and 1868 Registration remained optional • Registration of births and deaths became compulsory in 1897 • The present law – Births and deaths Registration Act 1951

9. Current Vital Registration System • Decentralized • 9 Provinces • 25 Districts • 330 Divisional Secretaries Divisions • 914 Birth & Death Registration Divisions • Births & Deaths are registered by • Medical Registrars - in proclaimed towns • Birth and Death Registrars – other towns • Birth, Death and Marriage Registrars – villages

10. Vital Statistics Data Collection System Vital Statistics Unit Coding, editing and processing data 33 Scanning Centers Scanning Returns Collecting and checking accuracy and completeness 330 Divisional Secretaries 914 Birth & Death Registration Divisions Completing Returns on Birth and Death

11. Vital Statistics Data Collection System • Single form for each marriage/birth /death • Format to be used for scanning • Should be completed at the time of registration • Information on Cause of death obtains from the original records • Verbal autopsy form for obtaining cause of death occur at homes • Should be handed over to the DS office before 10 th of each month by registrars

12. Birth Returns

13. Death Returns

14. Vital Statistics Data Collection System Completed forms are checked for the completeness and companied with the second copy of the marriage/birth / death • Should be handed over to the scanning unit of the Land Registry in each following month

15. Scan the documents :- • Statistical Returns • B 33 form which contains the cause of death certificated by the Doctor • B 18 form which contains the cause of death certified by the Inquirer into Sudden Death

16. Send the duplicates to the Central Record Room Send images of scanned documents to the VSU

17. Transferring information • From Registrars to Divisional Secretaries Offices – completed Statistical Returns • From Divisional Secretaries Offices to District Scanning Unit – checked Statistical returns • From District Scanning Unit to the Vital Statistics Unit - through e-mail / CDs

18. District Office 1 District Office 2 Head Office (VSU) District Office 3 Vital Statistics Processing System Formless Document systems Scanning Centers (District Offices)

19. VS forms (coded) VS forms Coding Scanning Imagers 1234234 1343444 1133122 Process Imagers Vital Statistics Processing System data

20. Who should report the birth • The Medical Officer of the Gov.hospital (3 Months) • Medical officer of the private hospital (3 Months) • GramaNiladari (7 days) • Parents • Occupant

21. Who should report the death • The Medical Officer of the Gov.hospital (3 Months) • Medical officer of the private hospital (3 Months) • GramaNiladari (7 days) • Judicial officer • Occupant

22. Main Indicators derived by VS for Monitoring and Evaluation of the health sector • Infant Mortality Rate • Child Mortality Rate • Maternal Mortality Rate • Age - specific Mortality Rate • Cause - specific Mortality Rate

23. Indicators are not 100 % accurate due to - • Under coverage of death registration in rural areas • Incompleteness of the information included in statistical returns • Inaccuracy of information on cause of death

24. Possibilities of under registration of death • Some hospitals where the Medical Registrars are not available • Some estates from which the deaths do not report in time to the Medical Officer • Some of the Inquirers into Sudden Deaths do not send their reports to the Registrars directly • Some persons do not get any interest to registrar deaths due to unawareness of the importance of registering a death and also the deceased person has nothing to claim

25. VS data cannot released in time • Delay in receipt of statistical returns from D.S office to the VS unit • Delay in handovering statistical returns from registrars to D.S.offices

26. Deaths are registered on the place of occurrence • 914 Birth and Death Registration Divisions • Out of the above 65 are called as medical registrar’s divisions located in the major hospital premises • A death Should be informed to the relevant Registrar within 5 days after the death • But registration can be done within 3 months time period at the Registrar’s Office on the declaration make by the informant/relatives • After 3 months and before one year the registration should be done after an inquiry held at the District Registrar’s Office • After one year the report of the inquiry should be examined and approved by the Zonal Assistant Registrar General

27. If the death occurs at a Government Hospital - • It is the responsibility of the Medical Officer in-charge of the hospital to give information regarding events occurring in such hospital • Private hospitals are considered as a residence and the responsibility of registering the death rests on the relatives of the deceased

28. If the death occurs at homes - • The obligation for giving information rests on the nearest relative present at death • The Grama Niladhari (Administration Officer at the village level) has to inform to the Registrar and the relevant person also has to go to the Local Registrar’s Office with the document issued by the Grama Niladhari • Even the death can be registered without informing to the Grama Niladhari, if the Register is satisfied with the information is 100 percent correct

29. If the death occurs at an estate - • An ‘estate’ means any land of which 100 or more acres are under cultivation and which is situated in a district declared under the Medical Wants Ordinance to be an Estate Medical District • Births, deaths and still births that occur in estate scheduled under the Medical Wants Ordinance are registered by the District Registrar of the division in which such estates are situated • The Superintendent of the Estate is required by law to furnish reports of deaths and still births to the appropriate District Registrar/Divisional Secretary through the District Medical Officer

30. If the death occurs of a Sri Lankan living abroad • Provisions exists in the Consular Act (No.4 of 1981) for registration of birth, death and marriage to be registered at the Sri Lankan Diplomatic Missions in the relevant country • Certain officers in such diplomatic missions are Additional District Registrars of Marriages, Births and Deaths

31. Death Reporting Process

33. Ways of deaths are registered • 45% of deaths are registered on the document issued by the doctor with proper cause of death • 25% are registered on the document issued by the Inquirer into sudden deaths – no proper cause of death given most of the time • 30% of deaths are registered on the declaration made by the relatives of the deceased – cause of death?

34. Completeness of Coverage of Death Registration

35. Possibilities of under registration of death • Some hospitals where the Medical Registrars are not available • Some estates from which the deaths do not report in time to the Medical Officer • Some of the Inquirers into Sudden Deaths do not send their reports to the Registrars directly • Some persons do not get any interest to registrar deaths due to unawareness of the importance of registering a death and also the deceased person has nothing to claim

36. Steps taken to make the death registration 100% • Amending the Birth & Death Registration Act and make new rules and regulations to make the death registration compulsory • Introducing awareness programmes to the public – posters , leaflets, hand books and other communication programmes • Increase the penalty for non registration of events

37. THANK YOU! D.P.Rajapaksa Senior Statistician Vital Statistics Unit Registrar General’s Department Sri Lanka.