Population-based mortality statistics are essential components of an effective public health response to epidemic outbreaks or other crisis situations. The Rapid Mortality Mobile Phone Surveys (RaMMPS) project aims to generate national mortality estimates, including excess mortality, in settings where civil registration is incomplete and face-to-face data collection may be interrupted or hindered. With funding from the BMGF and the FDCO, RaMMPS were conducted in Bangladesh Burkina Faso, the DRC, Malawi and Mozambique.