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Disclaimer / Limitations
This country’s legal measures were reviewed by our legal staff in consultation with in-country lawyers and/or CRVS legal experts. All efforts were made to ensure the accuracy of the legal analysis, however, if you consider there to be any discrepancies or if there have been changes in the law of the country since our staff last updated the legal analysis, we welcome any additional information or insights. Please contact us via this form.
Cause of Death
Bolivia
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Bolivia
Cause of Death
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
Transmission of Cause of Death Data
For a death that occurred in a health facility (and not referred to MLDI), does the law specify how the information on cause of death is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or the statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar and statistics agency
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The medical certificate of cause of death should be transmitted to the civil registrar or the statistics agencies to be used for legal and statistical purposes. In some countries, all the information in the medical certificate of cause of death is submitted to the registrar directly, who in turn submits the statistical information from the medical certificate of cause of death to the statistics agency. Other countries use a bifurcated form, containing a section for legal information and a section for statistical information. With this type of form, the legal information is submitted to the registrar and the statistical information is submitted directly to the statistics agency.
Health professionals are required to produce three copies of the medical certificate of cause of death. One copy is given to the family for them to register the death at the civil registrar's office. A second copy is sent to the National Health Information System - Epidemiological Surveillance (SNIS-VE) for statistical purposes. The Third copy will be kept by the health facility.
For natural deaths that occurred under medical supervision but outside a health facility, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to statistics agency
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
If the law obligates the certifier of cause of death to directly transmit an MCCD to the civil registrar and statistics agency, there are two policy objectives that are met.
First, the efficient transmission of information provides the necessary information, including cause of death, to the civil registrar and statistics agency without placing an additional burden on an intermediary, often a mourning family, to convey the medical certificate of cause of death to the registrar.
Second, certifiers of cause of death are less likely to modify sensitive cause of death information if fewer people have access to and knowledge of that potentially sensitive information.
For natural deaths under medical supervision but outside a health facility, the attending physician must complete the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) issued by the Ministry of Health under the National Health Information and Epidemiological Surveillance System (SNIS-VE). The certificate is filled out at the place of death or later at the nearest health establishment. The original is given to the family for registration with the Civil Registry, the first copy is sent to SNIS-VE for statistical reporting, and the second remains with the health facility or certifier, ensuring transmission of cause-of-death data to both systems.
For a death referred to the MLDI system, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?
Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Coordination among medical and legal authorities is crucial for the consistent management of unnatural and suspicious deaths and their timely registration in the civil registration system. Law enforcement, medical-legal authorities and emergency services must work closely and collaboratively to ensure that unnatural and suspicious deaths are promptly registered and that cause and manner of death are certified and reported to the registrar or national statistics agency. The medical certificate of cause of death should be transmitted to the registrar (or statistics authority) by the coroner or medical examiner.
In cases of medicolegal deaths, the Institute of Forensic Investigations (Instituto de Investigaciones Forenses – IDIF) issues the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). The certificate is then delivered to the family member or other legally authorized representative of the deceased, who must present it to the Civil Registry Office to register the death. The IDIF currently does not share or cross-reference information with the National Health Information and Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sistema Nacional de Información en Salud – Vigilancia Epidemiológica, SNIS-VE) of the Ministry of Health, meaning that these deaths are not systematically included in national health and mortality statistics.
Law Source
For cause of death determined from verbal autopsy, does the law specify how and to whom is the cause of death information is transmitted?
No
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Verbal autopsies should only be used for statistical purposes and never legal purposes. Therefore, cause of death determined by the use of a verbal autopsy should only be transmitted to the statistics agency and used anonymously. Results of a verbal autopsy should not be transmitted to a civil registrar, unless a physician reviews the verbal autopsy and medical records of deceased, and is able to complete an MCCD.
