Gonghuan Yang|Jianping Hu|Ke Quin Rao|Jeimin Ma|Chalapati Rao|Alan D Lopez
Mortality registration and surveillance in China: History, current situation and challenges
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College|Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College|University of Queensland|University of Queensland
mortality statistics key inputs evidence based health policy national level little known empirical basis mortality statistics china accounts roughly onefifth worlds population adequate description evolution mortality registration china current situation important evaluate usability statistics derived international epidemiology health policy chinese vital registration system currently covers 41 urban 85 rural centres accounting roughly 8 national population quality registration better urban rural areas eastern western regions resulting significant biases overall statistics ministry health introduced disease surveillance point system 1980 generate cause specific mortality statistics nationally representative sample sites currently sample consists 145 urban rural sites covering populations 30000 70000 total 1 national population causes death derived mix medical certification verbal autopsy procedures applied according standard guidelines sites periodic evaluations completeness registration conducted subsequent corrections reporting deaths results dsp used inform health policy national regional global levels remains need critically validate information causes death detailed validation exercise aspects currently underway general sample based mortality registration systems hold much promise models rapidly improving knowledge levels causes mortality lowincome populations