Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, has said the government recognises that Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) is a comprehensive mechanism for collecting information on the frequency of occurrence of specified and defined vital events.

Jehanzeb Khan chaired the 5th National Steering & Coordination Committee meeting on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) here on Tuesday. Representatives from federal ministries, provincial departments and international development partner agencies also participated in the meeting.

Khan said that Pakistan like several other countries of the region does not have credible registration of births and deaths, and lacks in reporting complete and accurate causes of death data but once this civil registration system will be implemented, the country will be able to collect the production of accurate, timely, disaggregated and complete vital statistics.

He said that according to Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS 2017-18), more than 4 in 10 children (42pc) under age 5 have been registered and 36pc have birth certificates indicating yet there is a long way to go. He said that once CRVS model district in ICT-Islamabad is successfully developed, district management will be able to achieve 100 percent vital events registration across the district. He said that it is delightful to know that the PC-I for the implementation of uniform CRVS system in Pakistan is prepared and is under the process of approval.

During the event, discussion focused around CRVS accomplishments, proposed revamped CRVS policy and structure, mainstreaming of vulnerable/marginalized population, PC-I for CRVS strengthening and critical operational processes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019