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Table 1 Comparison of legal framework and operational systems for birth and stillbirth registration

From: Birth, stillbirth and death registration data completeness, quality and utility in population-based surveys: EN-INDEPTH study

  Ghana Guinea-Bissau Ethiopia Uganda
Legislation status Registration of Births, Deaths Act 1965. Not linked to services 1967 Civil code of registry. Birth certificate required for school enrolment, ID, Passport Proclamations 2012 and 2017. First permanent, compulsory and universal nationwide system launched in August 2016 2015 Act amended. Certificate issued in 2 days and required for school enrolment, national ID, bank account, passport, driving licence, public service job, joining police and military forces
Responsibility to notify birth Parents, guardian, occupier of premises where birth took place Parents, doctor, family member, village chief Parents, doctor, family member Hospital, sub-county chief, parents/guardian
Documents required for birth registration Biological parents’ ID IDs of parents, presence of parents, birth notification from hospital, immunization card to verify DOB, Child name Parents IDs, parents physical presence (unless for justified reason), Child name, DOB Biological parents’ ID, parents birth certificates, child names, place of birth notification
Charge for birth registration Nil Free for 0–7-year old. No fee for abridged certificate Nil Nil
Charge for birth certificate Nil Fee detailed birth certificate Charged 5000 shillingsa
Legal required time-frame for registration 1 year from birth 30 days 90 days No limit
Late registration penalty Yes, after 1 year. Fine not shown Yes, 8–13 years and higher for 14 years and more Fine 5000 Ethiopian Birrb or imprisonment up to 6 months None for nationals
Methods for birth registration Electronic Manual ----- Manual + electronic(computer/tabs)
Enforcement of law ----- ----- ----- Implemented, but challenged with late reporting, corruption, lack of national internet coverage data transition
Current initiatives to increase birth registration From 2010 to 2014 HDSS staff notified births to district levels and encouraged mothers to register births during 1st month of life. Funding for this initiative ended in 2014. UNICEF sponsors radio spot messages encouraging birth registration; however, there are no direct incentives to register. Mass media and health worker campaigns to increase community awareness. No direct incentives to encourage birth registration Some recent innovation using app-based Mobile Vital records System to register births in community and some facilities.
Stillbirth registration Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1965 requires registration of all fetal deaths. There is a separate register for stillborn children. Fetal deaths (stillbirths) are not registered. Fetal deaths (stillbirths) are not registered Fetal deaths (stillbirths) are not registered
  1. Data source: UNICEF [38]; DOB date of birth
  2. aAround 1.4 US dollars
  3. bAround 150 US dollars
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Population Health Metrics

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