Page 355 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 1

IPS164 Sam N.
2005-2012, the lowest regional birth registration estimates were 39% for South
3
Asia and 44% for Sub-Saharan Africa. As low as these birth registration
measures are, the true estimates may be lower yet due to measurement issues,
principally respondent confusion about what constitutes actual registration.
The registration process is complex, as described below, and may lead the
respondent to report a birth has been registered when in fact only part of the
process has been completed.

4. Birth Registration Process
The registration of a birth in a civil registration system is a legal process,
generally defined according to the country’s registration law and regulations.
While birth registration is similar across countries, there are differences which
are best described by a review of various possible procedures required to
register a birth:
Declaration. Many countries require a family member to visit the local civil
registration office to inform the registrar of the birth. Typically, the family
member is known as the declarant.
Notification. To speed the registration process and improve the quality
and details of information reported, country civil registration systems are
increasingly relying on selected authorities to inform them of vital events. As
delivery in hospital or clinic becomes more common, CR law in some
countries now accepts notification of births and their characteristics from
health facility authorities. Similarly, CR systems may accept information on
deaths, including cause of death, from health facility authorities.
Registration. Once the reporting requirements for a birth have been
fulfilled, the CR office can register the birth. This means recording the legal
and other required information, either in a registration book, on an official
birth registration form, or entering the information electronically into a birth
registration database. Typically, a copy of the information, either on paper or
electronically, is sent to the central CR office. The UN recommends that
registration of births be provided free of charge for registration within the
1
allowable time period.
Certification. Once registered, the parents or other authorized individuals
can request a copy of the birth certificate, which is certified by the registrar. In
some cases, such as when the civil registration system places a registrar within
a maternity hospital, the family member can be provided with a copy of the
birth certificate at the time of registration. In countries where a declarant is
not required to physically visit the CR office, certificates may be printed for all
registered births and then distributed to families via health personnel. In other

3 United Nations Children’s Fund. Every Child’s Birth Right: Inequities and trends in birth
registration, UNICEF, 2013.
344 | I S I W S C 2 0 1 9