Mortality Information System in small municipalities of Minas Gerais state: concepts of health professionals

Strategies to accelerate the consolidation process of health information systems and make it possible to obtain reliable data on vital statistics are urgently needed. This qualitative study sought to understand the concepts of municipal administrators and Epidemiology managers about the Mortality Information System (MIS) in the Northeast region of Minas Gerais, one of the poorest in the state with the highest proportions of deaths with ill-defined causes. Professionals from ten municipalities were interviewed and their answers evaluated by content analysis. It was found that the MIS was perceived as important for management, but there was a general perception among respondents that it served the state and federal managers rather than the municipality in the planning of health actions. Improvements were reported in the physical structure of the municipalities to make the MIS operational, but also shortcomings related to lack of trained human resources for the systematic use and production of data at the local level and with high staff turnover. Partnerships between the health department with other state sectors can contribute to reduce under-registration of events and deaths with ill-defined causes.