The Role of Information Technology in Strengthening Vital Statistics in Public Health Institutions in Sana’a, Yemen

Background: Reliable vital statistics are essential for evidence-based health planning, policy formulation, and population health monitoring. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, however, weak digital infrastructure and fragmented health information often compromise data quality, timeliness, and accessibility. These limitations restrict the availability of reliable information for effective decision-making. Strengthening information technology (IT) capacity may therefore play a critical role in improving the performance and reliability of vital statistics in resource-constrained health settings. Methods: This study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design to examine the role of IT in enhancing vital statistics in public health institutions in Sana’a, Yemen. Data were collected from 119 administrative and technical staff across 32 public health institutions using a structured questionnaire measuring key IT dimensions (devices and equipment, software, human resources, and networks and communications) and vital statistics dimensions (registration and compilation, coverage and inclusiveness, data accuracy and quality, and publishing). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to assess the relationship between IT capabilities and the performance of vital statistics. Due to the cross-sectional design, the results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. Results: The findings revealed a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between IT and vital statistics performance (β = 0.83, p < 0.001), with IT explaining a substantial proportion of the variation in system performance (R2 = 0.69). Descriptive results indicated moderate utilization of IT, alongside relatively high performance of vital statistics systems. This pattern suggests that even partial adoption of digital technologies contributes meaningfully to improving data availability, accuracy, and reporting efficiency in resource-constrained settings. Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence that IT capabilities are strongly associated with improved performance of vital statistics in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. By demonstrating how digital capacity supports data reliability and informed decision-making under constrained conditions, the findings highlight the critical role of IT in strengthening data systems and addressing operational challenges. Targeted investments in digital infrastructure, workforce capacity, and system integration are essential for building resilient and data-driven health systems in similar settings.