National Consultant for Inequality Assessment of Data on Causes of Death (CRVS)

The ultimate result of this consultancy is the generation of robust, policy-relevant evidence on inequalities in cause-of-death data in Maldives, enabling a clearer understanding of disparities in data quality across population groups. The consultancy will support the country in strengthening national capacity to analyse, interpret, and use high-quality mortality and CoD data to inform health policy, planning, and resource allocation, as well as CRVS system improvement. It will also inform the design of targeted capacity building interventions and promote more inclusive policies by identifying population groups at risk of being left behind.

Remoted/Maldives

10 May -30 Dec 2026

High-quality and timely cause-of-death (CoD) data are essential for effective public health planning, resource allocation, and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems provide the most reliable and sustainable source of such data. However, while countries in Asia and the Pacific have made progress in improving death registration, significant challenges remain in the quality, precision, and usability of cause-of-death information. In particular, the persistence of ill-defined or misclassified causes of death, inconsistencies in medical certification, and variations in ICD coding practices limit the ability of mortality data to accurately reflect population health patterns. These challenges are often unevenly distributed across population groups, with disparities observed by sex, age, geographic location, and socioeconomic conditions, leaving some groups statistically “invisible.” To address these gaps, ESCAP is initiating work on inequality assessments within CRVS systems, which go beyond measuring completeness of birth and death registration to examine disparities in the quality and classification of deaths, particularly cause-of-death data, and their implications for inclusive policy and planning. This work contributes to the implementation of commitments made by member States under the Ministerial Declaration to “Get Every One in the Picture” and the Regional Action Framework for CRVS in Asia and the Pacific. It also aligns with broader efforts to strengthen national data systems for evidence-based health planning and SDG monitoring. Maldives will be the first implementing country for this initiative, reflecting its strong performance in achieving high completeness of death registration and medical certification. Despite this, evidence indicates that important data quality issues persist, including the use of ill-defined or misclassified causes of death and potential disparities across population subgroups. As the country undergoes demographic and epidemiological transitions and prepares for the transition to ICD-11, strengthening the equity, quality, and analytical use of mortality and CoD data is increasingly critical. In this context, ESCAP, in collaboration with WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, is supporting an inequality assessment of CoD in Maldives. The assessment aims to identify gaps and disparities in cause-of-death data and to strengthen national capacity to analyse, interpret, and use mortality statistics for evidence-based planning and policy formulation. Accordingly, ESCAP seeks to engage a national consultant to support the Ministry of Health in conducting the assessment, including analysis of disparities across population groups and the preparation of a technical report to inform policy and CRVS system strengthening. Under the overall supervision of ESCAP and WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Maldives Bureau of Statistics (MBS), and other relevant national stakeholders, the National Consultant will undertake the following tasks: 1. Data mapping and assessment o Identify and compile available mortality and cause-of-death data sources, including CRVS records, HMIS data, hospital records, and other relevant datasets (e.g. Social Health Insurance Scheme). o Assess data completeness, consistency, and quality, including the prevalence of ill-defined or insufficiently specified causes of death. o Support the documentation of data limitations and gaps. 2. Inequality assessment of causes of death o Conduct a detailed analysis of national cause-of-death data to identify patterns and disparities in data quality and cause-of-death assignment. o Examine inequalities across key population groups, including by sex, age, geographic location (capital vs. atolls), and other relevant and available characteristics. o Identify population groups most at risk of having ill-defined or misclassified causes of death. o Identify structural, administrative, and socio-cultural factors contributing to observed inequalities in collaboration with national stakeholders. 3. Capacity building and technical support o Assess national capacities and identify gaps in the analysis, interpretation, and use of cause-of-death data. o Provide technical inputs to inform the design and content of capacity building activities and training materials. o Contribute technical inputs to capacity building workshop, as required. 4. Reporting o Prepare an inception report outlining data source, methodology, analytical approach, and workplan. o Draft and finalize a comprehensive technical report presenting findings, inequalities identified, and actionable recommendations for improving cause-of-death data quality and use, including gender-related dimensions. o Contribute to the development of briefs, presentations, and dissemination materials. 5. Stakeholder coordination and consultation o Liaise with key stakeholders, including MoH, MBS, hospitals, and civil registration authorities, to facilitate data access, validation of findings, and stakeholder engagement. o Support the organization and facilitation of inception and validation workshops. o Ensure that findings are aligned with national priorities and inform ongoing CRVS strengthening efforts, including the transition to ICD-11. The consultant will also be responsible for organizing and/or providing technical support to the following activities. 1. Project inception workshop (0.5 - 1 day) The workshop will bring together key national CRVS stakeholders in Maldives, including the Ministry of Health (MoH), Maldives Bureau of Statistics (MBS), Department of National Registration (DNR), major public and private health facilities, as well as relevant partner agencies. The Ministry of Health will lead the session, presenting the project concept, outlining stakeholder roles and responsibilities, and clarifying the overall approach and implementation modalities, including linkages between health and civil registration systems and cause-of-death certification and coding practices. The workshop may be conducted in an online or hybrid format. 2. One national capacity building workshop to support the assessment of inequalities or demographic methods to analyse mortality and CoD data. (3-5 days) The focus of the workshop will be determined based on national capacity needs in Maldives to support the implementation of the CoD inequality assessment. Potential topics may include methods to assess the completeness and quality of cause-of-death data, including redistribution of ill-defined causes; and the use of cause-of-death data to produce cause-specific life tables and life expectancy and other relevant indicators. Final topics will be agreed in consultation with MoH, in collaboration with WHO SEARO and MBS, taking into account national priorities and the ongoing transition to ICD-11. The consultant will provide technical inputs to inform the design and content of the workshop, and will participate in the delivery of the workshop. 3. National validation workshop (0.5-1 day) The workshop will discuss and validate the findings of the inequality assessment of causes of death and their policy implications for Maldives. MOH will lead the workshop with participation from key stakeholders. The consultant will be responsible for organizing the workshop and supporting the presentation of analytical findings and recommendations. The workshop will facilitate dialogue between technical experts and policymakers to ensure that findings are validated and translated into actionable policy and system improvements.

 A bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Health Science, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field is required. An advanced degree (Master’s degree or above) in Demography, Statistics, Public Health, Epidemiology, or a related field is highly desirable.  Minimum five (5) years of relevant experience in public health, epidemiology, mortality statistics, or CRVS.  Strong knowledge of CRVS and health systems, including death certification, cause‑of‑death reporting, ICD coding, and mortality data quality assessment.  Demonstrated analytical skills, including use of statistical software (e.g. R or Stata) for mortality and inequality analysis.  Experience working with government counterparts (e.g. Ministries of Health, national statistical offices) and translating technical findings into policy‑relevant outputs.  Experience in Asia and the Pacific and/or small island contexts (e.g., Maldives) is an advantage.

Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required. Knowledge of Dhivehi is preferred.

Not available.