India is hosting a National Symposium and Stakeholder Consultation titled “Building a Mortality System for Viksit Bharat” in February 2026, marking a major step toward strengthening health data systems. The event aims to ensure that every death is registered, and its cause accurately determined to inform evidence-based health policies and improve governance.

Scheduled for 9 - 11 February at the India International Centre in New Delhi, the program includes technical workshops, stakeholder consultations, and poster presentations. Organized by leading public health experts, the symposium will focus on establishing a National Consortium for Strengthening Mortality Data Systems. Key themes include improving mortality data for policy development, enhancing civil registration and medical certification of deaths, expanding verbal autopsies for non-institutional deaths, and exploring artificial intelligence for cause-of-death ascertainment.

The event invites participation from epidemiologists, demographers, medical professionals, and public health specialists, with opportunities for paper submissions and oral presentations. Registration is now open, and selected authors may receive travel grants subject to funding. Organizers emphasize that strengthening mortality data systems is essential for achieving national health goals and advancing India’s vision for Viksit Bharat.

Visit the event page here for more details and registration.