Deputy Regional Registrar at the Birth and Death Certificate Registry, Central Region, Sarah Twumuwaa Nyampong is raising awareness of the need for citizens to own a birth certificate right after birth.
Emphasizing the need for infant birth registration, she stressed that mothers who have delivered newborn babies must register their babies for the pink birth certificate together with the certified copy known as the green birth certificate.
This birth certificate is a pink hand-written document containing the necessary details of the child.
Speaking on ATL FM’s Atlantic Wave, Madam Twumuwaa Nyampong emphasized the need for parents to register their children between ages 0 to 12 months on the pink birth certificate, which she describes as the original birth certificate.
She indicated that the pink certificate enables the government to provide social facilities for the country’s citizens.
She said “It helps the government have a yearly population census because if you take, for example, we have 5 million people in the country and 500,000 infants are born, we stand at 5.5 million and let’s say 100,000 leave, then we stand at 5.4 million. It helps the government know that this is the number of infants born .”
She indicated that with such data statisticians can plan with the government to know areas with overpopulation.
“Do they have enough facilities? Do they have enough schools? Are there enough hospitals, clinics, polyclinics, CHIPS compounds to contain the number to see the kind of care that is being given?” she questioned.
Additionally, Madam Twumuwaa Nyampong explained the processes and procedures nursing mothers need to go through to register their children on the pink and green birth certificates.
She explained that to get a certified copy of an infant birth certificate in Ghana, one needs to visit the registry with their ward’s weighing card, baptismal certificate (if applicable), parent’s details, date of birth, and full name.
According to her, the process is free for infants under 12 months however, there is a processing fee for older children.
“It does not take long. It takes some working days. So, we would prefer not for you to need it in an emergency and come and put pressure thinking you will get it that day. You will not be able to get it that day unless it is an infant registration zero to 12 months. The likelihood that you get it that day is high. If it is out of the district or out of the region, it will still be processed and you still have your birth certificate,” she continued.
She clearly stated children one year old and above, still have the chance of registering for the pink birth certificate, which would enable one to get the biometric certificate recognized by the government.
She encouraged all parents to visit birth certificate offices near them in their district to register their children.
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Source: Angelina Riley Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
