The Community of Practice for the Strengthening of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Latin American and Caribbean countries aims to establish a global interdisciplinary forum that promotes the digital transformation of CRVS systems.
Its mission is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences on cutting-edge technologies, best practices, and specialized collaboration, with the objective of modernizing and strengthening the essential processes for the accurate, efficient, and timely registration of vital events and identity. The digital transformation of CRVS is the cornerstone for improving citizen services and public policies.
The vision of the community is to position itself as a leader and driving force for best practices, ensuring that every country has an inclusive CRVS system aligned with the needs of governments, health providers, legal institutions, and communities. It seeks to promote a global transformation that guarantees excellence in data quality, equity, and user-centered design.
The General Objective of the CoP is: “To foster the exchange of knowledge and best practices among key stakeholders to jointly build a digital transformation roadmap for CRVS systems in the LAC Region, identify technological, regulatory, and operational gaps, and design collaborative strategies that drive sustainable and scalable modernization projects, ensuring their alignment with international standards and the needs of each country”.
The Specific Objectives seek to:
Target Audience of the CoP
The Community of Practice is composed of participants from institutions and key stakeholders involved in the management of CRVS systems in the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean:
- Representatives and focal points from Civil Registration Offices, National Statistics Offices, Ministries of Health, and Institutes of Forensic Medicine.
- Representatives from PAHO at the central level (EIH-IS) and country offices.
- Representatives from the academic sector and research organizations in Vital Statistics.
- Representatives from international organizations committed to the technical development of CRVS systems and identity management.
Background of the CoP
The Latin American and Caribbean Network for Strengthening Health Information Systems (RELACSIS) is a Community of Practice created in 2010 by PAHO to initially strengthen vital and health statistics, evolving toward the digital transformation of IS4H over the past five years. Currently, within the context of the 2024–2030 plan, it seeks to improve the interoperability of health information systems by fostering specific Communities of Practice for the plan’s lines of action. The creation of the CRVS Community of Practice aims to develop, strengthen, and consolidate best practices for the digital transformation of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the countries of the Region.
