Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Cause of death information, however, contains sensitive and often confidential medical information. Therefore, it is good practice to not include cause of death information on the standard form death certificate. To protect privacy while at the same time allowing for the provision of cause of death when needed, some countries provide for a long-form death certificate which contains cause of death information and a short-form death certificate which does not contain cause of death information. The long-form death certificate is only accessible to those with a legitimate interest in the cause of death, which may include family and government officials.
Papua New Guinea
Legal Analysis
The regulations and forms in force as of January 2026 are contained in the Civil Registration Regulation1967 issued under the Civil Registration Act 1963, which has been repealed by the Civil and Identity Registration Act 2024. These regulations remain in force insofar as they are consistent with the new legislation until new regulations are enacted. These regulations contain a form for a death certificate (Form 10) which includes “cause of death”. The reviewer was unable to ascertain whether this form is still used in practice.