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The National Vital Statistics System also provides answers to basic questions about deaths:
the who, when, where, and why questions. Knowing about death also tells about survival in the United States.
The death certificate, collected by the states, captures valuable demographic and medical information.
These data are widely used to identify and target areas to improve public health.
Some of the major news stories of the past two decades have featured these data, underscoring
its importance to the lives of everyone in the United States.
Infant mortality is used as a key indicator of a nation's well-being.
The United States has made great strides in reducing infant mortality over the decades,
although progress has slowed in recent years.
When compared with other nations, it is clear that there is a need for continued improvement.
Babies born too soon are of interest and this is one of the important
factors that limit improvements in infant mortality.
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As with birth data, the National Vital Statistics System has demonstrated the value of collecting
mortality data by highlighting gains in life expectancy and changes in mortality risk, and by
showing disparities in the population, as women continue to outlive men and differences among
racial and ethnic groups persist.
By tracking the leading causes of death, from the drop in infectious diseases to the rise in
such chronic conditions as heart disease, cancer, strokes, and diabetes,
the National Vital Statistics System plays a vital role in showing where public health
and health care resources need to be directed.
Although much work remains, mortality statistics
have helped to target resources to achieve lower death rates in the United States and have
helped people in the United States to live longer and better lives.
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Working together, the National Center for Health Statistics' Division of Vital Statistics, the
State Vital Statistics offices, and the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems
collect birth and death information that allows the nation to identify disparities, track progress,
and alert the government and general public to emerging health related problems.
As the National Vital Statistics System deals with the challenges emerging in the 21st century,
it will continue to improve its methods of data collection so that this vital information is available to
help build better and longer lives into the future.
Each part of this system is critical to the process from the National Center for Health Statistics,
which compiles and analyzes the information and publishes reports,
to the states and individuals who collect this important information,
and to those experiencing the events.
And in the end, every life counts in the United States and all are included in this extraordinary process.
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