Ifakara Health Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA), has convened for a two-day workshop in Morogoro to strengthen mortality data collection in Tanzania. The workshop, held on February 20 – 21, 2025, is part of the Sample Registration System (SRS) Planning Phase, launched in October 2024.

Funded by the Gates Foundation (GF), the SRS project aims to establish a National Sample Registration System (SRS) to improve the quality and availability of mortality data in Tanzania—essential for evidence-based health policy and planning.

Mapping out strategic action plans
The event convened key stakeholders from across the mortality value chain—including government representatives, non-governmental organizations, development partners, and academic institutions—to review the Business Process Maps of existing mortality data sources in Tanzania. The insights gathered during this workshop will be instrumental in designing the SRS in Tanzania, with a particular focus on establishing linkages and integration across systems.

Participants include representatives from the Ministry of Health (MoH), President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PoRALG), the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Registration Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency, National Institute for Medical Research (NMR), Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Bloomberg Data for Health (D4H) Initiative, AMREF, the University of Dar es Salaam, and UNICEF.

Opening remarks
In her opening remarks, chief guest Dr. Vida Mmbaga from the MoH underscored the value of open engagement, stating, "Your insights will be instrumental in shaping the success of the SRS planning phase”.  She encouraged participants to actively share their perspectives, emphasizing that their contributions would play a crucial role in improving the existing business process maps.

Dr. Isaac Lyatuu, presenting on behalf of Dr. Honorati Masanja, outlined the workshop’s objectives and expected outcomes. Additionally, Siglibert Mrema, Ifakara’s research scientist, provided an overview of the SRS initiative, highlighting key activities, goals and expected deliverables.

Key areas of focus for mortality data improvement
Throughout the workshop, stakeholders engaged in discussions and presentations on Business Process Maps for the key intervention areas, including death registration, verbal autopsy, medical certification of causes of death, mortality surveillance, maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response, and medical-legal death investigation. The workshop also served as a platform for discussing the existing business processes and gathering recommendations for improving them through SRS implementation. 

The need for collaboration
A central takeaway message from the discussions was the need for “sustained collaboration” among implementing institutions and key stakeholders, and “active stakeholder engagement” particularly with policymakers, to ensure that SRS findings translate into actionable health policies and practices.

About the SRS 
The Sample Registration System (SRS) is a crucial initiative designed to address gaps in the quality, availability, and utilization of mortality data in Tanzania. Existing systems, such as the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and the Routine Health Information System (RHIS), face challenges related to coverage and completeness. By establishing a reliable and comprehensive mortality surveillance framework, will strengthen Tanzania’s capacity to generate high-quality mortality data, essential for informed health planning and policymaking.

Tanzania is one of only four African countries qualified for the SRS Planning Grant, having successfully secured financial support from the Gates Foundation (GF) in July 2024. This funding will support the development of a national proposal for establishing and implementing a sustainable Sample Registration System. 

Learn more about the SRS Planning Grant here.