SUVA, 14 AUGUST 2026 (SPC)—A death certificate records a life’s end. But when the medical cause is not coded consistently, governments lose part of the picture they need to understand and prevent avoidable deaths in future. Seven Pacific countries are working together to change that. A Pacific partnership is helping countries to better use and interpret their death records by pooling specialist expertise, with medical recorders and mortality coders meeting in Brisbane last week to support roll-out of a new open-source system underpinning the regional service. Led by the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Regional Cause-of-Death Coding Service helps countries convert information from death certificates into clearer evidence about what people are dying from, whether the patterns are changing, and where health systems may need to focus. Done well, cause-of-death coding allows agencies to see patterns and trends in mortality, and better understand the diseases, injuries and conditions behind deaths in their populations. Done poorly, or not at all, the final record of a person’s death may never become useful evidence for public health. SPC’s Jeff Montgomery, a specialist in civil registration and vital statistics, explains that the regional service has been designed to address a practical challenge for many Pacific countries, where specialist cause-of- death coding expertise can be limited. “The information on a death certificate can tell a country much more than that someone has died,” Mr Montgomery said. “For many Pacific countries, the challenge is not only in registering deaths, but turning those records into reliable information about why people are dying. “When deaths are coded consistently, to a common standard, they can reveal patterns, and whether those patterns are changing. This regional system gives Pacific countries a practical way to produce that evidence, even where on-the-ground specialist coding skills are scarce.” The service began two years ago as a pilot involving Fiji, Tonga and Tuvalu. It now also includes Kiribati, Palau, Cook Islands and Naoero (Nauru), with countries sharing expertise so that de‑identified death records can be coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, the global standard for categorising causes of death. This Brisbane workshop marks the next stage in that work. A new portal, developed by OpenCRVS with support from SPC and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), will streamline the exchange of de‑identified death records for coding, and receiving coded data back for analysis, reporting and planning. Lauren Moran, ABS head of mortality statistics, said the portal was designed to make a specialist process easier to manage across countries and institutions. “The aim is to support a trusted regional workflow, where countries can submit records securely, coding teams can work consistently, and the results can be returned in a form that enables countries to use the data to inform evidence-based policy,” Moran said. The ABS is also providing coders who can offer ‘surge’ support to the regional service. For countries with small populations and limited specialist staff, the significance is not only the technology, but the regional model behind it. Montgomery says countries needed practical ways to make better use of records they were already collecting. “We need to know what people are dying from, whether the patterns are changing, and where health systems should focus their attention. “By working together, this regional approach is taking us from individual records to national and regional evidence. For small administrations, being able to do that through a trusted shared service is a real step forward. “Open-source systems are particularly valuable in this context because they can be adapted to local needs, improved over time, and shared across countries facing similar challenges.” Montgomery says the service had moved beyond proving that countries could collaborate on cause-of- death coding. “The service shows that this kind of regional sharing can work,” he said. “The next step is making it routine, reliable and useful for countries, so that mortality statistics can inform decisions rather than sit unused in administrative systems.” Good cause-of-death data, he said, was not an academic exercise. “Ultimately, this is about helping countries see their health challenges more clearly, so they can respond with evidence-led decisions,” said Montgomery. For more information on this story, contact Ben Campion, Communications Adviser, Statistics for Development Division, Pacific Community (SPC). Commonwealth Youth Ministers Task Force endorses new framework to advance youth development LONDON, 14 AUGUST 2026 (COSMSEC)—The Commonwealth Youth Ministers Task Force has endorsed a new framework to guide the delivery of the Commonwealth Youth Programme over the next three years to advance youth development across member countries. The endorsement was made at a special meeting of the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Task Force, held on 28 July at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London and online. The framework aligns the Commonwealth Youth Programme with the Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and positions young people as partners and leaders in building democratic, economic and environmental resilience. It has a particular focus on creating opportunities for youth leadership, skills, entrepreneurship and digital inclusion, supported by measurable results. The meeting was co-chaired by Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Pakistan, and Moefaauouo Julius Ah Kui Tafunai, Minister for Samoa’s Ministry of Family and Social Affairs. In her welcome remarks, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Botchwey, welcomed the endorsement and thanked ministers for their continued commitment to delivering tangible opportunities for young people. “The strong level of support for the framework reflects our shared commitment to strengthening Commonwealth co-operation on youth development. “Equally valuable are the recommendations received on implementation, financing, technical assistance and support for Small States and Small Island Developing States. These contributions have enriched the framework and will help ensure that the Commonwealth Youth Programme remains practical and responsive to the needs of our young people,” She said. A welcome blueprint Ministers welcomed the framework’s emphasis on youth mainstreaming across the pillars of the Secretariat’s Strategic Plan, while reaffirming the distinct role of the Commonwealth Youth Programme for youth development. They also endorsed a focused portfolio of high-impact initiatives designed to strengthen inclusive youth participation, youth entrepreneurship, access to finance, digital capabilities and skills development. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Task Force, said:“Our discussions have provided valuable strategic guidance on the Commonwealth Youth Programme Strategic Framework (2026-2030) and reaffirmed our collective commitment to strengthening youth development across the Commonwealth.” Addressing the meeting, Moefaauouo Julius Ah Kui Tafunai, Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Task Force said: “As Co-chair, I thank you for the wisdom, purpose and collective resolve you brought to our discussions. We affirmed our commitment to a Commonwealth Youth Programme that is strategic, collaborative and accountable—one that places young people at the centre and delivers measurable outcomes. Samoa remains committed to working with the Commonwealth and all member states to expand meaningful opportunities for young people.” During deliberations, ministers called for an implementation plan that reflects the recommendations submitted by member countries and is supported by a strengthened monitoring, evaluation, and learning framework. Ministers also noted the proposed Commonwealth Youth Programme Strategic Co-Investment Model, designed to mobilise additional resources and partnerships while preserving the Programme’s existing mandate, governance arrangements and institutional status. Ministers received updates on the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF), which will take place from 02 to 04 November 2026 at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda alongside the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM); and preparations for the 11th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in 2027. Recommendations and next steps Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the Commonwealth youth development agenda, with a strong focus on empowering young people to lead, contribute and help shape a more sustainable and prosperous future. They expressed deep appreciation to the Commonwealth Secretary-General for her continued commitment to young people across the Commonwealth. The meeting closed with a renewed commitment to collaboration, with participants recognising the continued leadership of the Commonwealth Youth Programme and the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the valuable contributions of all those who supported the meeting’s success. The Secretariat will finalise the implementation plan for the framework, incorporating recommendations from member countries and the Task Force. The Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Task Force brings together ministers and senior officials from The Bahamas, Cyprus, The Gambia, India, Kenya, Namibia, Naoero, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Saint Lucia and Uganda, together with representatives of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) and the Commonwealth Association of Youth Work Associations (CAYWA), to provide strategic guidance on Commonwealth youth development priorities and on the delivery of commitments made by member countries….PACNEWS