Accra: Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway, the Acting Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry, has called on the Government to bolster the Registry's operations to fulfill its mandate, including collecting population data crucial for national development. As the institution responsible for registering all births and deaths, the Registry can provide up-to-date population data required for planning and development if adequately resourced.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Botchway suggested that enhancing the Registry's capabilities could save the country the resources currently allocated for conducting population and housing censuses every ten years. He made this appeal during a visit by Madam Lydia Lamisi Akanvariba, the Minister of State in charge of Public Sector Reforms, to the Registry in Accra. The visit aimed to gather first-hand information on public sector reform initiatives and explore opportunities for collaboration under the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP).
The PSRRP, funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Government of Ghana, aims to improve efficiency and accountability in public service delivery. It supports Ghana's National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS) by focusing on enhancing service delivery in selected public sector institutions. Mr. Botchway praised the project's impact on the Registry's operations, noting an increase in registration coverage. By the end of the project in 2023, the Registry recorded 731,706 births, exceeding the project's target by 231,706.
Despite these achievements, Mr. Botchway urged for further assistance, including amending Act 1027 of 2020 to improve death registration. Out of the 240,000 deaths targeted by the project, only 91,000 were registered in 2023. He proposed that including confirmation of death by a community leader could significantly enhance registration efforts, especially in rural areas where obtaining medical or coroner's reports is challenging.
Mr. Emmanuel Nortey Botchway, Head of Projects, highlighted the importance of capacity building for staff in remote areas to enable them to fulfill their roles effectively. Minister Akanvariba commended the Registry's progress and promised support to enhance their services. She expressed readiness to assist in amending the Act to improve the registration process, particularly for deaths.
The Minister emphasized the importance of registering both births and deaths as a means to eliminate the need for frequent population censuses. "Providing the necessary resources will enable the Registry to deliver improved services and maintain accurate population data," she stated.
