MORTALITY REPORT DISSEMINATION WORKSHOP

The National Mortality Technical Working Group (NMTWG) for the Ministry of Health & Medical Services (MHMS) released the first National Mortality Report for the year 2022 and 2023 during a half day workshop on the 5^th of November 2025. The workshop was attended by key stakeholders who are involved in improving death notification and medical certification of deaths in Solomon Islands. In his opening address, the Chair of NMTWG and Deputy Secretary Health Care, Dr Gregory Jilini said, “This mortality report is more than just a compilation of data, it is the most reliable data source on the leading causes of death in the country, identify health inequities to inform targeted interventions. It provides the evidence we need to shape effective policies, allocate resources wisely, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of our people”.

Th Dissemination Workshop on Mortality report 2023, with theme “Uncovering the Story Behind Numbers” was attended by officers from the Ministry of Health & Medical Services, Civil Registry, Provincial Health Services, development partners, civil society and Solomon Islands National University to discuss the implications of the current mortality trends. at the key objective was to share key findings, insights, and recommendations from the 2022 and 2023 mortality data analysis.

Dr. Gregory Jilini, Deputy Secretary Health Care, highlighted that the National Mortality Report 2022 and 2023 is the first official report on deaths in the country that is based on actual deaths that were reported, verified and certified through the national death registration process and produced by the MHMS Health Information System Unit. It is therefore a significant milestone as it is not based on estimates but on real data which demonstrates MHMS commitment to improve evidence-based decision making by strengthening our health system.

The Deputy Secretary also stated that mortality statistics are indicators of a population’s overall health and well-being. They are important and useful for assessing population health, informing policy and planning, tracking diseases and identifying risk factors, evaluating healthcare quality, resource allocation and population forecasting

“So, our efforts to improve certifying causes of deaths are extremely important and today we want to present what we’ve been able to achieve with up to 2024”, said Dr. Jilini.

Therefore, Dr Jilini thanked the CDC Foundation and Vital Strategies for their invaluable technical and financial support. He described their partnership with MHMS has been instrumental laying the foundation and building capacity and which has enabled the ministry to generate information on the causes of deaths to produce this first comprehensive report.

“If it were not for your unwavering commitment and support, we would not have been able to make much progress. With these data we have taken a major step forward that will support evidence-based health planning and decision making”, said Dr. Jilini.

He thanked the Provincial Directors describing their leadership and commitment are critical for the effective management of services across the provinces. “Your hard work and perseverance are clearly reflected in this achievement. Thank you for your tireless efforts.

He further acknowledged churches for coming onboard to help the government in this area. The goal is to capture all deaths wherever they occur. While not all deaths present to health facilities, most deaths undergo some form of burial rituals so we believe that involving churches will ensure that no death is missed.

“Like birth registration, death notification and registration is a collaboration between MHMS and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Therefore, I would like to thank the Civil Registry of MHA for your support as we roll out and strengthen the medical certification of causes of deaths and verbal autopsy”, said Dr. Jilini.

Mr. Vasco Carvalho, Health Information Systems Technical Adviser, representing World Health Organization Solomon Islands said, “the workshop brings together diverse groups to experts and stakeholders, reflecting our shared commitment to improving health outcomes in the Solomon Islands through evidence-based action.

“The Mortality Report 2023 is more than a collection of statistics – it is a call to understand the real stories behind the numbers. By analyzing mortality patterns, we can strengthen our health system.

“This agenda demonstrates the value of collaboration, with contributions from government, technical partners, and the health workforce. The panel discussion and knowledge – sharing sessions will help us address challenges such as data quality, medical certification, and death registration, and identify practical steps for improvement”, said Mr. Carvalho.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the CDC Foundation Dr. Hafizur Chowdhury said this report provides evidence for making informed, evidence-based decisions. “This data must be translated into actionable policies that will guide public health efforts across all sectors to boost NCD programmes and increase efforts for early detection and prevention.

He further stated since 2016, the Solomon Islands has established best practice methods for data collection utilising global standard forms, staff capacity building with standard guidelines and rules, ICD-10 mortality rules, and data analysis using digital tools. As a result, the data generated is standardised and globally comparable.

Vital Strategies Ms. Gurpreet Rai said these findings are not only important—they are actionable. They provide a roadmap for further strengthening the system of notification of deaths, recording the causes of death and also identifying areas of need and health policy to reduce preventable causes of death.

Dr. Gregory Jilini, Deputy Secretary Health Care sharing his address at the event.

Mr. Vasco Carvalho Health Information Systems Adviser, WHO, delivering his remarks at the workshop.

Ms. Gurpreet Rai, Vital Strategies sharing her remarks.

CDC Foundation Dr. Hafizur Chowdhury delivering his remarks.

Workshop participants.

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