On 20 January 2026, the third cohort of the CRVS Applied Research Training (CART) Initiative was launched! The CART initiative is a joint program between ESCAP and the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), which supports CRVS practitioners from registration authorities, statistical agencies, civil society and other related organizations to develop research skills and conduct and implement a independent research project with the aim of producing a publishable research paper.

The third cohort welcomes 40 new participants from over 28 different countries. Proposed projects cover a variety of topics, including implementing verbal autopsies, assessing disaster readiness of CRVS systems, measuring birth and death registration gaps and strengthening accurate cause-of-death reporting.

The virtual launch session introduced the programme’s training modalities, curriculum, and learning platform. It also featured participants from previous cohorts, who shared their own research, reflected on their experience, and offered insights and advice for the new cohort.

To learn more about the CART, click here.