This report describes vital events data reported on Louisiana’s Vital Event Certificates of Live Birth, Spontaneous Fetal Deaths, Induced Termination of Pregnancy, Death, Marriage, and Divorce. Data collected on these certificates are used to describe year 2008 status and trends by race, gender and age groups.
Monitoring the health status of a population is an essential step in evaluating the effectiveness of various health programs and in developing programmatic policy for the future. Monitoring the status of a population relative to certain health indicators over a number of years is an especially effective tool for health planning. Act 985 of the 1995 Louisiana Regular Legislative Session, enacting R.S. 40:1300.71, requires that the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals annually prepare a report card relative to health and health-related issues.
