28 May 2020

O/T: More Timely Civil Registration Data Needed

What do Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Belgium, England and Wales, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the USA have that Canada doesn't?


The Human Mortality Database recently added weekly death data for those 16 countries. For England and Wales, where deaths have to be registered within five days of the date of occurrence, weekly coverage is from January 2010 to 17 May 2020. While there are situations when this registration can be delayed this timely data captures major trends and is a basis for prompt action, not merely of historical interest.

This is the total death data, by week for England and Wales since January 2010. It showed COVID-19 death data through medical system sources were substantially underestimating fatalities.

Canada's provincial civil registration systems are letting us down.

No comments: