This handbook contains instructions for physicians on cause-of-death certification.  These instructions pertain to the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death used in Jamaica for the registration of deaths.  Detailed instructions are given to ensure that physicians complete the cause-of-death according to international standards put forward by the World Health Organization and the Registration (Births and Deaths) Act by which the Registrar General’s Department is guided.

 
The handbook also demonstrates the importance of death registration and includes instructions on completing other items on the certificate of death.  Examples of medical certifications are included to facilitate adequate training.

 A pull-out summary sheet of the Instructions for Completing the Cause-of-death Section of the Death Certificate which was extracted from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is also included. 

 The handbook is designed to acquaint physicians, medical students, and others with the vital registration system in Jamaica and to provide instructions for completing and filing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).  Emphasis is directed toward the certification of medical information, the primary responsibility of the physician, and a critical piece of information on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.