One of the main purposes of health information is to help administrative staff and health planners take the best possible decisions for promoting the wellbeing of society. Since 1970, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has been developing and organizing Health Information Systems. This paper presents the progress of the Mortality Information System and the Live Birth Information System since they were first established, building up historical series with accurate figures for these vital events. Their positive and negative aspects are analyzed through quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Steadily improving, they are expected to attain full coverage and adequate quality in the near future.