Krofu (C/R), April 17, GNA – The Birth and Death Registry aims at achieving about 65 per cent coverage this year, Mr S.P. Ankrah, Births and Deaths Registrar announced on Saturday.
He said the Registry in collaboration with Ghana Health Service, the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Plan Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, had put in place some interventions to help achieve the target.
Mr Ankrah said 1,000 community Health Nurses were being trained with the help of UNICEF, while 792 Unit Committee members had been trained to compile births and deaths reports in three regions. In addition, 180 community volunteers have already undergone training to undertaking the exercise, he announced. Mr Ankrah, who was addressing a durbar at Krofu near Mankessim, said births and deaths coverage shot up from 28 per cent in 2003 to 49 per cent in 2004.
He said a Universal Birth Registration Programme aimed at achieving 100 per cent coverage by 2007 had been put in place and called for a concerted effort to enable the nation to achieve the target. Mr Kingsley Asare Addo, Assistant Registrar and Project Co-ordinator, said the exercise was being carried out in six communities in the Central Region on a pilot basis.
The communities are Fianko in Awutu-Effutu-Senya District, Akotsi in Gomoa District, Kwesi Twikrom in Agona District and Krofu, Essarkyir and Ebiram all in the Mfantseman District. Mr Addo said if successful, the programme would be replicated in other communities nationwide.
Mr Benedict Gyapong, Community Facilitator of Plan Ghana, which is supporting the programme, said his organisation being child-centred, would continue to support programmes initiated to enhance the progress of children.
31 babies were registered at the durbar. At a similar durbar at Ekumfi Essarkyir 30 babies were registered.
Source: GhanaWeb
