Population observatories as sources of information on mortality in developing countries

A ‘population observatory’ is a study in which a whole population of a defined geographical area is monitored over a long period (several years or decades), and information on the events that happen (births, deaths, marriages, migration) is collected on a regular basis. This paper presents the collection method used in population observatories, the type of results that they provide, and how they are useful for the study of mortality in the nations of the South. In the first part, the different observatories in the developing countries are reviewed, and certain specific aspects of their methodology are studied in detail. In the second part two examples are presented – the observatories of Bandafassi and Mlomp, in Senegal. This article is part of Demographic Research Special Collection 4, “Human Mortality over Age, Time, Sex, and Place: The 1 HMD Symposium”. Please see Volume 13, Publications 13-10 through 13-20. 1 Institut national d'études démographiques (INED), 133 Boulevard Davout, 75980 Paris cedex 20 – France. http://www.ined.fr/chercheurs/pison.php Tel: (33 1) 56062126; Fax: (33 1) 56062199. E-mail : [email protected] Pison: Population observatories as sources of information on mortality in developing countries 302 http://www.demographic-research.org