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Stillbirth Reporting
Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea
Stillbirth Reporting
Other requirements
Other requirements
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death
Does the law require or request medical certification of cause of death for stillbirths? If yes, does the medical certificate of cause of death used, accord with the WHO MCCD form?
MCCD required but does not align with WHO MCCD
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The Cause of Death for stillbirths should be medically certified in the same way as for other deaths. WHO recommends the medical certification of cause of death of stillbirths using the standard WHO medical certificate of cause of death form.
According to Section 41(2) of the Civil and Identity Registration Act, if a fetal death occurred under medical attendance, the notifier (informant) must provide the Registrar-General with a medical certificate certifying the cause of the fetal death completed and signed by a medical attendant who was responsible for the care of the mother at the birth or who examined the fetus. However, Section 42(3) states that the Registrar-General is mandated to register a fetal death upon being satisfied that the fetal death occurred, where the information provided is adequate for the purpose of registration – implying that it may be possible to register a fetal death without medical certification of the cause of death.
The regulations and forms in force as of January 2026 are contained in the Civil Registration Regulation 1967 issued under the Civil Registration Act 1963, which has been repealed by the Civil and Identity Registration Act 2024.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. They contain a form for A “Medical Certificate of Stillbirth” (Form 15), but this form only confirms the stillbirth with no reference to cause of death.
Does the law require that funeral, burial and cremation services request proof of stillbirth registration or reporting?
Unclear
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
In most countries, when a stillbirth occurs in a health facility, the family is offered the option of the health facility carrying out disposal of the stillborn baby or releasing the stillborn baby to the family for burial or cremation. If the family choses to bury or cremate the stillborn baby, the provider of the funeral, burial or cremation service should be required to request proof that the stillbirth was reported to the registrar before final disposition.
In terms of Section 21(1) and (3) of the Cemeteries Act, the Provincial Commissioner of the province where a cemetery is situated or another officer authorized for the purpose may give consent to the burial of a stillborn child only on production of a certificate confirming that the child was born dead, signed by a medical practitioner who was in attendance at the birth or by a magistrate or an officer of the Police Force who has inquired into the circumstances of the stillbirth. However, no proof that the fetal death was registered is required.
The requirements of the Civil and Identity Registration Act in this regard are unclear. Section 2 defines the "disposal of human remains" to include “the burial, interment, cremation, removal from the country, or other authorized disposition of a dead body or foetus”, but defines “death” to exclude fetal death. Section 51 of the Act requires a minister of religion who conducts a funeral service, or a person responsible for the disposal of human remains where there is no funeral service, to request proof of notification of “death” from the deceased’s next of kin and, if there is no proof that the death has been notified, to report it to the Registrar-General. Since the term “disposal of human remains” covers disposition of the body of a fetus while the term “death” excludes fetal death, it is not clear if these requirements apply to the registration of fetal deaths.
Does the law require that health facility or health professional attending a stillbirth provide to the parent(s) a medical record of fetal death, or equivalent document, to facilitate burial or cremation?
Unclear
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
If reporting takes place through the health sector only, the health facility should provide a medical record of the fetal death to the parents, if needed for burial or cremation of the fetus.
In terms of Section 21(1) and (3) of the Cemeteries Act, the Provincial Commissioner of the province where a cemetery is situated or another officer authorized for the purpose may give consent to the burial of a stillborn child only on production of a certificate confirming that the child was born dead, signed by a medical practitioner who was in attendance at the birth or by a magistrate or an officer of the Police Force who has inquired into the circumstances of the stillbirth.
In terms of Section 41(2) of the Civil and Identity Registration Act, a medical attendant who was responsible for the care of the mother at the birth or who examined the fetus is expected to provide a medical certificate certifying the cause of the fetal death to the notifier (informant), who must then provide this certificate to the Registrar-General. It is not clear if the certificate referred to here would suffice for the purposes of the Cemeteries Act.
