Vital statistics
Encyclopedia
Vital statistics are the information maintained by a government
, recording the birth
and death
of individuals within that government's jurisdiction
. These data are used by public health
programs to evaluate how effective their programs are. They are the cornerstone of public health systems today.
A useful by-product of birth and death registration are official certificates of those events. These certificates serve as prima facie
evidence of that event.
The agency responsible for overseeing this system in the United States is the National Center for Health Statistics
, a division of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
.
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, recording the birth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
of individuals within that government's jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
. These data are used by public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
programs to evaluate how effective their programs are. They are the cornerstone of public health systems today.
A useful by-product of birth and death registration are official certificates of those events. These certificates serve as prima facie
Prima facie
Prima facie is a Latin expression meaning on its first encounter, first blush, or at first sight. The literal translation would be "at first face", from the feminine form of primus and facies , both in the ablative case. It is used in modern legal English to signify that on first examination, a...
evidence of that event.
The agency responsible for overseeing this system in the United States is the National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics is a division of the United States federal agency the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . As such, NCHS is under the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
, a division of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
.
See also
- Birth certificateBirth certificateA birth certificate is a vital record that documents the birth of a child. The term "birth certificate" can refer to either the original document certifying the circumstances of the birth or to a certified copy of or representation of the ensuing registration of that birth...
- Death certificateDeath certificateThe phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
- Vital recordVital recordVital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships....
- British Annals of Medicine, Pharmacy, Vital Statistics, and General ScienceBritish Annals of Medicine, Pharmacy, Vital Statistics, and General ScienceThe British Annals of Medicine, Pharmacy, Vital Statistics, and General Science was a weekly publication edited by William Farr that ran from only January to August 1837. Although short-lived, it was succeeded by Farr's other journals and was extremely influential in the development of vital...