The WHO workshop on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) on Ageing Version 1.0 and Adult Mortality Data in sub-Saharan Africa was held in Pretoria, South Africa from 12 to 14 February 2003. Previous workshops were held in Harare, Zimbabwe (January 2000) and Dares Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania (June 2001). This workshop was held to improve the understanding of the processes and challenges to collate available data in each country, to finalize the first phase of the MDS Project, and to identify data gaps and strategies to address those gaps. The workshop particularly focused on key gaps in basic health status information, with particular reference to the comparable measurement of health status and of older adult mortality rates.