By Muniratu Akweley Issah
Accra, June 11, GNA – The Birth and Deaths Registry (BDR) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has developed a revised Maternal and Child Health Record Booklet, aimed at registering newborn babies and acquiring accurate data.
The record book was developed with support from the World Bank, and it was in compliance with implementation of the Births and Deaths Act 2020.
Sections 16 and 20 of the Act mandate timely registration of births and deaths in all districts across the country.
Handing over the record book and launching the sensitisation materials, Ms Henrietta Lamptey, Acting Registrar, Births and Deaths registry, said the newly developed record book would serve
as a vital tool in enhancing the registration of births, emphasising inclusivity and legal identification of every child born in Ghana.
Ms Lamptey noted that registration of births and deaths was of utmost importance, though often overlooked but essential for effective policymaking and decision-making.
“By simplifying the registration process and facilitating the issuance of Ghana card numbers, we aim to ensure that every child is registered promptly after birth,” she stated.
The Registry has further developed sensitization materials for public education to raise awareness about the critical role individuals play in birth and deaths registration, an initiative that would be ongoing with immediate effect throughout the year and beyond.
“She said the milestone was a testament to our commitment to improving birth and death registration practices in Ghana and ensuring that every citizen is recognized and accounted for,” she added.
Dr Chris Opoku Fofie, Deputy Director, Reproductive and Child Health, GHS, Family Health Division who received the record Books said the development of the book was an important step and would allow an effective and smooth process in registering newborns and having a certificate at every facility.
He expressed optimism that the initiative would help in the identification for all people living in Ghana and a good step in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 by 2030.
Mr Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Deputy Minister of Local Government Decentralisation and Rural Development indicated that having accurate data would ensure proper and adequate data that would help in policy formulation in the country.
He said with the digitisation agenda in addition to the births and deaths records initiative, the country would have a robust digital system in the next few years.
Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo, Senior Presidential Advisor, acknowledged the importance of the initiative, which contained essential information to promote and maintain the health of children and their families as well as cater for notification of births and foetal deaths to effectively capture such data for national planning and socio-economic development.
He commended the Registry for its admirable performance over the last couple of years.
About 1,200,000 copies of the newly revised booklet would become the new standard that would continue to be produced to serve the original intended purposes of pre- and post-natal documentations as well as provide for the notification of births and foetal deaths in the country.
Madam Felicia Dapaah, Chief Director, Office of the Head of Local Government Service, recognised the importance of data in the development of the country, acknowledging the varied
results of data collection in the country over the years, hence the importance of the revised record book to help acquire accurate data.
Madam Dapaah expressed the readiness of the local government service for effective collaboration and the acquisition of accurate data needed for the development of the country.
GNA