By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, June 14, GNA – The Births and Deaths Registry (BDR) has begun pilot research in the Greater Tamale Area to investigate and properly document the reasons most deaths go unregistered in the country.
The move seeks to enhance death notification in the area.
The two month-long research, which is being undertaken in collaboration with academic researchers based at the International Growth Centre, and Boston University, would see the BDR collect data from 27 public, community, family and other private cemeteries in the Tamale, Savelugu, Kumbungu, Tolon and Mion Assemblies.
Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway, Acting Registrar, BDR, speaking at a workshop in Tamale to launch the research and train stakeholders on the exercise, said it formed part of efforts to improve death registration data and coverage in the country.
Participants, during the workshop for the launch and training, included managers of the various cemeteries, Chiefs and Imams, among others.
Whilst statistics from the BDR shows that death registration has been on the downward trend over the years in the country, the situation in the Northern Region is said to be worst.
Factors such as uncontrolled burial grounds, traditional and religious norms and beliefs, inadequate public awareness in death registration, delay in the issuance of medical certificates and corona reports amongst others have been identified as some of the reasons for the situation.
Mr. Botchway said ensuring that every death was registered would guarantee credible data for planning, which was crucial for national development.
He said the research exercise would lay the groundwork for a model to improve death registration in the country.
He appealed to Imams, Chiefs and opinion leaders to assist the BDR to improve death registration in the region.
Dr Henry Telli, Senior Country Economist, International Growth Centre, said the research partners would work with managers of the various cemeteries in the area to collect data on every burial on their sites, which would be computed to arrive at the actual death numbers.
Sheikh Abdul Mumin Dalhu, Zongo Chief and Chief Imam of the Shia Community, attributed low death registration in the area to the cumbersome nature of the registration process and religious misinterpretation, especially by Muslims, who buried immediately a death occurred.
He urged the BDR to fast-track the death registration process to encourage all to register their deceased relatives.
He further advised the BDR to work with leadership of Muslim communities to educate the people on the need to register deaths.
A representative of the Gulkpe-Naa, Paramount Chief of Gulkpegu Traditional Area (Tamale), expressed the need to fast-track the registration process.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/ Benjamin Mensah