The DIPOMATIC Collaboration is an National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) global health research group, based in the UK, Malawi and Zambia. The aim of DIPLOMATIC is to reduce preterm birth and stillbirth and to optimise outcomes for babies born preterm In Malawi and Zambia. The Collaboration consist of 8 work packages each with objectives: Work Package 2 (WP2) Objectives 1. To collate key contextual information on the existing data infrastructure relating to perinatal health within Malawi and Zambia 2. To undertake an analysis of existing Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance data to provide detailed information on the epidemiology of stillbirth and neonatal death and underlying causes 3. To agree complementary core datasets on maternity and neonatal care to be captured on all women and babies treated in DIPLOMATIC participating hospitals This report is a working paper, in fulfilment of **aim 3 of WP2**. The recommendations for the minimum core data sets presented here, build on previous work collating contextual information on existing data infrastructure (WP2 aim 1) in Malawi (1). As previously noted, the equivalent information for Zambia will need to be collated, before robust recommendations on designing and implementing the collection of the core DIPLOMATIC data set can be made for Zambia.