About Us

Why This Campaign

Every year, nearly 25 million deaths and over 50 million births go unrecorded, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Without high-quality, accurate data, governments lack a complete picture of demographic trends and causes of death, making it difficult to allocate resources effectively. The campaign aims to bridge this gap by highlighting the global challenge of unrecorded deaths and the lifesaving potential of reliable cause-of-death data.

Through powerful stories and practical resources, this campaign urges governments and other decisionmakers to prioritize stronger death registration systems and invest in the collection and analysis of cause-of-death data—one of the most impactful public health investments a country can make.

The goal of the Data for Health (D4H) Initiative is to strengthen data on births, deaths, and risk factors for noncommunicable diseases, and improve lives through better informed public health policies. The D4H Initiative launched a campaign in late 2025 to highlight the global challenge of unrecorded deaths and the lifesaving potential of reliable cause-of-death data. The campaign is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of its Data for Health Initiative, which has forged robust partnerships with governments and global organizations in 82 countries since 2015.

Partners

Data for Health is a collaborative initiative that includes:

And Ministries of Health, civil registration agencies and national statistics offices around the world.

Press

Indian Express: 45 Million Deaths Go Unrecorded Globally Every Year, New Campaign Urges Investment in Vital Statistics Systems
El País: “Counting Deaths Helps Save Lives”: Africa Demands Control of Its Health Data After USAID Closure
Folha de S. Paulo: Lack of Data on Deaths Limits Public Health Policies, Experts Say
Bangkok Post: Health Data Systems To Help Curb Cancer
Daily Nation Zambia: World Health Summit Calls for Smart Care System in Health Decisions
Sound of Africa: Global Health Leaders Highlight Critical Role of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Disease Control and Policy Planning

Campaign Events

The Lifesaving Potential of Death Data

Communicating Value Beyond the Health Sector Death data is foundational to public health and national governance. At the World Health Assembly, join the Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative for a timely discussion with Ministers of Health and senior WHO and CDC leaders on how they communicate the importance of mortality data to political and financial decision-makers beyond the health sector.
Registration is required, space is limited. Continental breakfast with coffee and tea will be served.

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