Editorial: Governments Need CRVS, and CRVS Needs Identity

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for accurate public health data in crisis management, once again highlighting the importance of robust civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems.

These systems are foundational for documenting critical life events, including births and deaths, and offer governments valuable insights necessary for informed decision-making. However, to fully exploit the potential of CRVS systems, they must be built upon secure, reliable identity systems that uniquely and accurately account for each individual within a population.

Backbone of a reliable CRVS system

The recent WHO SCORE ¹ report highlighted an essential requirement for governments to bolster their data frameworks to improve health outcomes and pandemic preparedness. Countries with integrated digital identity and CRVS systems were able to respond far more efficiently during the pandemic, directing financial aid and healthcare resources to those most in need.