New virtual course: PAHO promotes the strengthening of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems in health across the Region

Washington, D.C., May 4, 2026 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through the Information Systems and Digital Health Unit and the Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH), announces the launch of Cycle 4: Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), as part of the Digital Literacy Program in Health and its Learning Path.

This new cycle brings together the expertise of specialists from the Region and international organizations-including Javier Vargas, Manuel Yáñez Hernández, Carine Alsokhn, and Katri Kontio-and offers an agile, self-paced learning experience aimed at strengthening key capacities to improve the quality, availability, and use of data on births, deaths, and causes of death in health systems.

Access Cycle 4

Key information for health decision-making

In the Region of the Americas, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems play a central role in producing reliable information on births and deaths, including causes of death. This information is essential for policy design, resource allocation, and monitoring the health situation.

In the current context-marked by digital transformation and increasing interdependence among institutions-CRVS in health faces challenges related to integration with health information systems, the adoption of international standards such as ICD-11, and the strengthening of data governance and quality. The cycle is aimed at civil registration teams, vital statistics offices, health professionals, and information systems technical teams, as well as other public sector stakeholders involved in data management and use for decision-making.

Cycle content

Cycle 4 is structured around three main areas:

• CRVS in the era of digital interdependence
• Automated coding of causes of death
• Digital transformation of CRVS systems

The learning experience is complemented by specialized readings, assessment activities, and open-access materials.

Course details

Cycle 4 - Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in health
Duration: 5 hours of self-paced learning
Modality: Certified virtual course
Platform: Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH)
Access: Access here

For PAHO/WHO staff, completion of the course may count toward the 80 mandatory annual training hours.

About the Digital Literacy Program

Cycle 4 is part of PAHO's Digital Literacy Program in Health, an initiative aimed at strengthening the digital competencies of health teams across the Region. Through the Certified Webinar Series, the program offers thematic cycles on strategic areas of digital transformation, with accessible, up-to-date, and evidence-based content.

Previous cycles remain available:

Cycle I - Artificial Intelligence in Health

Access the cycle

Cycle II - Artificial Intelligence in Health

Access the cycle

Cycle III - Telehealth and Telemedicine

Access the cycle

Upcoming cycles

In the coming months, new certified cycles will be announced in strategic areas of digital health:

• Health data management

These cycles will continue to strengthen key competencies to support the digital transformation of health systems across the Region of the Americas.

Stay informed

To receive updates on upcoming activities of the Digital Literacy Program, you can subscribe to the institutional mailing list: Register here