Table 1. Evolution of legal framework for vital registration in Viet Nam.
| Characteristic of legal framework | Historical evolution and current status | |
|---|---|---|
| Duties and responsibilities for registration and vital statistics | • 1956–1998: death registration operated by Ministry of Domestic Affairs; 1998 onwards operated by Ministry of Justice. | |
| • 1956–1998: registration and issue of certificates free of charge. 1998 onwards, fees for registration and issuance of certificates. | ||
| • 2005 decree provides clear instructions on maintenance of vital records, issuance of certificates, processing corrections, submission of statistical returns; and registration services for Vietnamese citizens living abroad, in liaison with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | ||
| Coverage | • Vietnamese decrees all mandate complete coverage. | |
| Reporting responsibilities and penalties | • 1956–1998: duty of relatives/persons of authority to notify death at place of occurrence; late registration punishable by law. | |
| • 1998–2005: notification document not required for death at place of usual residence. Late registration subject to financial penalties. | ||
| • 2005: death notice mandatory from health authority or responsible person for all deaths; no penalties for delayed registration. | ||
| Reporting period | • 1956–1961: death reported to local police within 24 hours to get burial permit, which is submitted within 7 days for death registration. | |
| • 1961–1998: death registration to be completed within 24 hours. | ||
| • 1998–2005: death registration to be completed within 48 hours in urban areas; within 15 days in remote and rural areas. | ||
| • 2005 onwards: death registration is required within 15 days of death. | ||
| Definitions for early age mortality | • No definitions of fetal death in terms of duration of gestation/birth weight in any version of Vietnamese decrees. | |
| • 1956 onwards: (according to civil code) fetal deaths require only burial permission, not registration. Neonatal deaths require both birth and death registration. | ||
| • 2005 onwards: (according to Ministry of Justice guidelines) deaths within 24 hours of birth do not require birth/death registration. | ||
| • 2005 onwards: infant deaths not reported by parents can be registered by the justice clerks. | ||
| Requirements for reporting cause of death | • 1956–1961: no mention of requirement to report cause of death. | |
| • 1961–1998: declarant should mention cause of death in death notice. | ||
| • 1998: “doubtful death”a requires cause of death issued by police. Death notice from health facilities must include cause of death. | ||
| • In 2005 decree, cause of death must be mentioned for all deaths. However, there is no stipulation regarding medical opinion as to the cause, nor specific format for reporting cause of death. | ||
| Compilation and submission of vital statistics | • 1998: compilation and submission of vital statistics first stipulated in the decree, including an annual report to Government. | |
| • 2005: submission of statistical reports from commune upwards every 6 months. Ministry of Justice responsible for summarizing the events and reporting to the Government annually. First annual national compilation of statistics achieved for 2007. |
a For example sudden death with no clear cause; death by accident; death by killing, suicide, doubtful murder, driven suicide; missing death; or others regulated by law.