Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) remains a key priority in Namibia, with several stakeholders actively supporting efforts to improve the accuracy and completeness of Mortality and Causes of Death data. Reliable mortality data is essential for understanding the country’s health profile, monitoring progress toward national and global health targets, and guiding evidence-based policy decisions.
To contribute to these efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) through the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), WHO Namibia and WHO South Sudan, supported the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) and the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) to conduct a training on the analysis of Mortality and Causes of Death data. The collaboration focused on strengthening national capacity to utilize WHO’s suite of mortality and causes of death analysis tools, which are designed to improve the quality, analysis, and interpretation of vital statistics.
The training introduced participants to three key WHO tools designed to improve mortality data quality and analysis: CoDedit, which performs routine data quality checks to ensure accuracy in cause-of-death reporting; DORIS, which assists in identifying the underlying cause of death to better understand disease burden and health priorities; and ANACoD3, an advanced application that automatically tabulates mortality data, generates statistical tables and figures, highlights inconsistencies, and estimates the completeness of reporting.
Over a three-day workshop, 20 participants from NSA and MoHSS were trained on how to apply these tools effectively. The sessions underscored the importance of high-quality data in generating reliable statistical reports that inform policy decisions and public health strategies. By strengthening national capacity in mortality data analysis, Namibia is better positioned to understand mortality patterns, design targeted health interventions, and ultimately improve health outcomes for its population.
