The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) has published an Annual Vital Statistics Report for every year since 1995. This 2003 report is the ninth such report of its kind and the second report that has been based on data captured and compiled electronically. 

In 2004, the RGD will commemorate 125 years of the administration of Jamaica’s civil registration system. Since Executive Agency status was conferred in 1999, the Department has steadily realised vast improvements in its operations not only in relation to the provision of certificates but also, more importantly, in the process of vital statistics production.

The RGD is devoted to initiating and facilitating ways of sustaining and intensifying the trend of the positive development that has been achieved in recent years. Through continued partnership with its established sister organisations and by fostering new ones, the Agency will undoubtedly succeed in the complete transformation of Jamaica’s current civil registration and vital statistics systems from Third World to First World standards.

Since vital statistics, that is, statistics on births, deaths, marriages, (adoptions and divorces) are derived from the information from the civil registration system, it is crucial that this system be as comprehensive, complete and accurate as possible. Once this is ensured, the next concern is the effective and efficient transfer of all its data into the vital statistics system. This format must not only be relevant to the country’s needs but also consistent with international standards so that factual comparisons can be made.

In respect of Jamaica, both functions of civil registration and vital statistics reside under the same administrative office, the Ministry of Health. Even more advantageous is the fact that both functions are also carried out by the same agency, the RGD. It is expected therefore, and has been proven, that the interface that currently exists between the civil registration system and vital statistics system in Jamaica, as administered by the RGD, is of an optimal standard.

Though the interaction between these two systems is adequate, some concerns have been raised concerning two other factors: firstly, the level of synchronicity between civil registration and actual occurrence of vital events and secondly, the fact that Jamaica’s vital statistics, are reported upon the basis of date of registration as opposed to date of occurrence.[1]  

In the case of institutional vital events, these are registered promptly as it is the duty of the institution to notify the Local District Registrar (LDR) of all known events occurring under its supervision. It is a concern, however, that there may be a small percentage of events that are not being registered on time as institutions withhold the required information due to non-payment of fees by those persons who have been provided service in that institution. Home deliveries is another area of concern as the possibility exists for delayed or no registration occurring due to lack of proper knowledge about the need to register the event. Such seeming hindrances are negated with respect to registration, being effected however, as most essential social systems (for example schools, Passport Office and administration of estates) usually demand that persons produce a birth or death certificate upon registration or solicitation of service.

This now raises the issue of delay in registration. Legally in Jamaica, registration of births and deaths are not deemed to be “late” until one year has passed after the event has occurred. The public therefore has up to one full year to opt for normal registration of a birth or death, even though ideally, registration should take place as soon as the event occurs. Consequently, the RGD must consider events that occur in a particular year, are registered in the following calendar year but which were still registered within the one year period. This raises the concern of delay in registration since the RGD uses the basis of registered events as the platform for reporting vital events.

In order for Vital Statistics to be sufficiently meaningful and comparable from year to year and country to country, it is suggested that it be reported on the basis of date of occurrence. If the date of registration must be used, the delay in registration must not be appreciable.

In the case of RGD’s data for Jamaica, the method of reporting based on registered vital events has been in existence at least since the 1995-reporting year when all statistics were generated manually. However, since the start of electronic capture, compilation and generation of vital data, the possibility of eliminating the phenomenon of registration date based vital statistics now exists. It will now be possible for the data to be easily tracked and manipulated on the basis of date of occurrence or any other parameter required.

In respect of the reduction of delay in registration and the elimination of the need for late registration, it is necessary that the appropriate statutory measures be implemented and actively enforced. The laws governing registration must contain safeguards that intrinsically and absolutely guarantee the prompt and complete registration of all vital events. Once these laws are established, then cooperation from relevant institutions such as hospitals, the police, court offices, and others involved in vital data collection, will become an inescapable obligation. In addition, the responsibility of vital event reporting and registration will, as much as possible, be removed from the public and placed in the hands of the officials who have been made aware of their occurrence. This is especially important in the case of sudden and violent deaths, the registration of which is often delayed due to the usually lengthy legal process. This process precedes the completion of the Post Mortem Examination Report, Form D (Certificate of Coroner) or Form E (Coroner’s Certificate of Finding of Jury), either one of which is required in the registration of these deaths.

Statutory change can also alleviate the described problem with sudden and violent death registration delay, by either hastening the required legal process required before registration or by circumventing the process in the achievement of full death registration. Whatever the ultimate action taken, the changes will certify that the timely registration of all deaths will be an automatic action.