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This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Vital Statistics
Maldives
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Maldives
Vital Statistics
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Structure of Vital Statistics Agency
Agency
Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?
Yes, Ministry of Health and Bureau of Statistics.
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The legal framework for the vital statistics system should assign the functions of establishing, operating and maintaining a national vital statistics system to a governmental agency. Most countries assign responsibility for the vital statistics system to the national statistics office. Another option is to place the vital statistics administration within the civil registration agency. A third option is to designate specific government agencies to carry out different vital statistics functions related to their respective areas of work. Whatever option is chosen, close coordination between the vital statistics system, civil registration system, and health sector is essential.
The law on registration of births and deaths (2022) places responsibility on the Ministry of Health to generate and publish national statistics on births and deaths (which includes cause of death). Under the Statistics Act (2021), the Maldives Bureau of Statistics is responsible for generation of statistics in general. The two entities collaborate on generation of vital statistics.
Link Between Civil Registration and Vital Statistics
Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?
Yes
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
A well-functioning civil registration system is the ideal source from which to derive accurate, complete, timely, and continuous information on vital events. Vital statistics should therefore be derived from civil registration data.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) collects data on births and deaths in its health management information system DHIS2 and sends this data to civil registration authorities through the electronic system GEMEN. The Ministry of Health and the Bureau of Statistics generate vital statistics through data collected in DHIS2, GEMEN, and NARES (the national identity system).
Are there clear procedures and timeframes in the legal framework to facilitate sharing data from the civil registration agency to the national statistics agency(ies)?
Unclear
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should require and enable the regular and timely sharing of statistical data from civil registration authority to the vital statistics agency.
The law does not explicitly address the timing of transfer of data. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH) vital statistics report, health facilities send data to the MOH on a monthly basis, and MOH accesses civil registration data through GEMEN, the electronic civil registration system, which is available continuously. The Bureau of Statistics also access civil registration data continuously through GEMEN.
Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?
Unclear
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The law should balance the privacy of individuals, with facilitation of data linkages between the civil registration and vital statistics agency when statistical data is shared between them. Generally vital event information should be submitted with identity information - such as name and unique personal identifier- removed.
The Ministry of Health, which is responsible for birth and death statistics, has identified data in its health management information system (DHIS2). Similarly, GEMEN (the electronic civil registration system) has identified data. It is unclear if this data is anonymized before statisticians in MOH or the Bureau of Statistics access it for vital statistics purposes.
