Assahafa.com
Morocco is among a small number of countries highlighted for progress in modernizing mortality data amid major global shortcomings, according to the World Health Statistics 2026 report published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization noted that complete, reliable, and timely data are essential for tracking health trends, guiding public policies, and anticipating health crises yet remain insufficient worldwide.
Despite some improvements, only 18% of countries submit mortality data within one year, while 32% have never provided data on causes of death. Of the roughly 61 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2023, only about 21 million were reported to the WHO with an identified cause of death, and just 12 million included data considered usable under the International Classification of Diseases.
Overall, one-third of countries meet WHO quality standards, while about half provide weak, very limited, or nonexistent data, with particularly wide gaps in low- and middle-income countries.
Against this backdrop, Morocco’s experience is presented as an example of tangible progress. The Kingdom has profoundly transformed its vital statistics system, moving from a centralized model covering about 30% of the population and generating a large number of ill-defined causes of death to a decentralized digital platform aligned with international standards.
Developed by Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior and with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the solution enables online entry of death certificates, automated coding of causes of death, and real-time quality control.
According to the WHO, the transformation has significantly increased population coverage and the number of processed certificates, while reducing the share of poorly identified causes of death. The integration of tools recommended by the organization has also strengthened data quality and its use in shaping public policies.
As many countries continue to struggle to produce reliable statistics, the WHO stressed that investments in digitalization, capacity building, and the adoption of international standards can deliver measurable progress, including in resource-constrained settings.
According to the report, Morocco is now planning a new phase with the adoption of the ICD-11 classification system in order to further improve the comparability and interoperability of its data at the international level.
Source: map
