23/05/2026
The Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) team and the Central PHO team have embarked on a mortality surveillance exercise in Kapiri Mposhi, Chisamba, and Mumbwa with the purpose of strengthening mortality surveillance and improving the completeness of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system.
To address the underrepresentation in mortality surveillance and the incomplete CRVS system, one proposed solution is the implementation of a Sample Registration System (SRS). This method involves selecting a statistically significant subset of the population to estimate vital statistics, thereby providing a cost-effective and sustainable approach when combined with validated verbal autopsy procedures.
By implementing the SRS in nationally representative sample clusters, Zambia can bridge existing gaps in vital statistics and mortality surveillance in the short to medium term. Collecting information on deaths, births, and their characteristics beyond healthcare facilities is essential for informing health interventions and policy decisions, highlighting the importance of strengthening mortality surveillance systems.
Study Objectives
To develop and implement a comprehensive mortality surveillance system using a Sample-based Registration System (SRS) that will accurately detect, notify, and determine the causes of all deaths within sampled sites, with the primary goal of generating high-quality mortality data for evidence-based decision-making.
Specific Objectives
To establish a nationally and regionally representative sample-based mortality surveillance system.
To detect and report all deaths, pregnancies, and pregnancy outcomes occurring within the sampled sites.
To notify all deaths and births occurring within the sampled sites to the Civil Registration Authority.
To determine the causes of death for all deaths occurring within the sampled sites using Verbal Autopsy.
To determine the contributory social factors associated with a subset of deaths using Social Autopsy.
To utilize mortality data for evidence-based decision-making.
By Sinkala Mike
Senior Health Promotions
Central province.