Upper East records significant gains in birth registration through partnerships and mobile outreach

The Upper East Regional Office of the Births and Deaths Registry has recorded significant progress in birth registration following a series of interventions aimed at expanding access to civil registration services, particularly in underserved communities.

The Regional Registrar, Ismatu Yahaya, disclosed that the region registered 7,236 births during the first quarter of 2026, comprising 3,721 males and 3,515 females. She described the figures as a remarkable improvement over previous years, attributing the achievement to strengthened partnerships and innovative outreach strategies.

District-level data show that Bawku West recorded the highest number of birth registrations with 874, followed by Bongo District with 710, Bolgatanga Municipal with 701, and Bawku Municipal with 685. Garu registered 371 births, Binduri 238, Builsa South 294, Builsa North 188, and Bolgatanga East 166.

The Registry also recorded 77 deaths during the same period. Bolgatanga Municipal accounted for the highest number with 30 registrations, followed by Bawku West and Builsa North with five each, while Bongo District recorded no registered deaths during the quarter.

A major breakthrough came during the Ghana Health Service’s Child Health Promotion Week in May, when the Births and Deaths Registry partnered with health officials to integrate birth registration into child health services.

The initiative resulted in a sharp increase in registrations across the region. Bawku West recorded 1,491 births during the campaign, followed by Bongo District with 1,219, Bawku Municipal with 1,218, Bolgatanga Municipal with 1,170, Garu with 620, Binduri with 461, Builsa South with 374, Builsa North with 344, and Bolgatanga East with 265.

Yahaya said the impressive results demonstrate the impact of collaboration, noting that working closely with the Ghana Health Service has enabled registry officials to reach more mothers and newborns during routine child welfare activities rather than relying solely on the Registry’s limited resources.

She further disclosed that the Upper East Region has been selected as one of five beneficiary regions under the national Mobile Birth Registration Programme, an initiative designed to extend registration services to hard-to-reach communities. According to her, the region had already begun implementing similar mobile registration exercises before the national rollout.

She cited a recent outreach exercise in the Pusiga District, where nearly 60 children were registered in a single community, as evidence of the effectiveness of taking registration services directly to underserved populations.

Despite the progress, Yahaya acknowledged that the Registry continues to face challenges, including inadequate logistics, limited staffing, poor public awareness, and the difficulty of accessing remote communities.

She noted that many parents, particularly in rural areas, are still unaware of the legal requirement and long-term importance of registering a child’s birth within the first year of life.

She therefore called for stronger collaboration with the media, the Department of Gender, non-governmental organisations, traditional authorities, and community leaders to intensify public education on the importance of birth registration.

Yahaya stressed that a birth certificate is a child’s first legal identity document and serves as the gateway to essential services, including education, healthcare, social protection, and the enjoyment of other constitutional rights. She reminded parents that although late registration is permitted, it involves additional procedures and costs, making early registration the most convenient and affordable option.

The Upper East Regional Births and Deaths Registry says it will continue to expand community outreach programmes and strengthen partnerships to ensure that every child in the region is registered, protected, and legally recognised from birth.

Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Prosper Adankai

Maseda Spices