Hanoi (VNA) – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Vietnam and VitalStrategies on August 9 signed an agreement for a second phase of work under theData for Health Initiative, which is supported by BloombergPhilanthropies and the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to continue supporting the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to improve civil registration and vitalstatistics. 

Vietnamjoined the initiative in March 2020, and the second phase will beimplemented from July 2021 to March 2023 by Vietnam’s Ministry ofJustice in collaboration with relevant line ministries.

Dr. Kelly Henning, Public Health Program Lead, BloombergPhilanthropies said: “Weare pleased to continue in partnership with the government of Vietnam in theirefforts to collect better public health data. Stronger civil registration and vitalstatistics systems provide better data to assist in decision making that willprotect the health of the Vietnamese people.” 

“Bycontinuing our partnership with UNFPA and the Vietnam government to improveCRVS systems, together we can ensure that every person is counted,” said Jana Shih, TechnicalAdvisor for Vietnam and Thailand, CRVS, at Vital Strategies. 

“Registeringbirths and deaths are key to unlocking rights and protections for individuals,as well as providing decision makers with data that can guide policies toimprove quality of life for all. Strengthening the CRVS system’s legalframework in Vietnam is a critical step toward meeting the UN SustainableDevelopment Goal targets of universal birth registration and 80 percent deathregistration by 2030.”

In thefirst phase, the programme supported quality improvements of birth and deathregistrations through strengthening CRVS governance, assessing CRVS systemfunctioning, conducting the review of the CRVS legal framework, anddesigning the improvement framework on the registration of births anddeaths and other vital statistics.

The secondphase of the programme will focus on further strengthening CRVS governance andthe legal framework; applying digital solutions to improve CRVS processes andcapacity development; and improving collaboration between relevant ministriesin sharing CRVS data to be used in policymaking. The programme will also pilotan innovative model on the registration of births and deaths for nationwidescaling up.

Nguyen CongKhanh, Director of Civil Registration, Nationality and Attestation Department,Ministry of Justice emphasised the important role of the programme’s secondphase.

"Thesigning of the second phase of the partnership between UNFPA and VitalStrategies to continue supporting the Ministry of Justice to successfullyimplement the National Action Programme on CRVS is necessary and significant.This partnership will contribute to improving the legal framework and CRVSbusiness process in a more modern way; and promoting creative communication andinter-sectoral coordination at all levels. The linkage and sharing of data andstatistics, especially on births and deaths among sectors will not onlyserve the policy making process by relevant ministries, sectors and localities,but also protect people's health and ensure other lawful rights and interestsas stipulated by the law,” he said.

Vietnam hasbeen implementing the National Action Programme (NAP) on CRVS for the period2017-2024. Strengthening the CRVS process, as well as building andsustaining quality birth and death registration data including causes of deathenables countries to confer and guarantee citizenship, plan and budget foreffective national and subnational policies for health, social protection,education, population and human rights, and measure the impact of variouspublic projects and programmes.

UNFPA RepresentativeNaomi Kitahara highlighted that the most important outcomes of the first phasewere the increased capacity of civil servants involved in CRVS and thestreamlining of birth and death notification and registration processes.

Sheexpressed belief that a well-functioning CRVS system will help ensureindividual’s social benefits including education, health care, propertyinheritance and the right to vote, among others. A streamlined registrationmechanism across the life course is particularly important for women, creatinga framework for addressing gender inequalities./.