Births and Deaths Registry Issues 8,500 Certificates in Abelemkpe, Alajo Recovery Exercise

The exercise was undertaken to recover birth records lost during recent flooding, register previously undocumented births, replace old manual records and provide residents with secured birth certificates.

According to the Registry, 4,500 birth certificates were issued in Alajo, while 4,000 were issued in Abelemkpe, making the initiative one of the most successful community-based records recovery exercises undertaken by the institution in recent years.

The exercise attracted large numbers of residents from both communities seeking to regularise their birth records and obtain official documentation.

The Acting Registrar of the Births and Deaths Registry, Mr Samuel Adom Botchway, personally supervised the exercise from start to finish, monitoring data entry processes, engaging with parents and applicants, addressing concerns and working alongside staff members to ensure all applicants were attended to.

Speaking during the exercise, Mr Botchway said the overwhelming response demonstrated the effectiveness of the Registry’s community-centred approach to service delivery.

“This is what happens when you take service to the people. Eight thousand five hundred certificates in two communities tells us people want to be registered. We are recovering records that were lost or remained manual because every Ghanaian deserves a secure, verifiable birth certificate. This exercise at Abelemkpe and Alajo is just the beginning; we are moving from community to community,” he said.

The Acting Registrar noted that the exercise forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s civil registration system and ensure that citizens possess secure and verifiable personal records.

The Registry also reminded the public that birth registration for children aged between zero and 12 months remains free of charge and can be undertaken at any district office of the Registry or through its community outreach programmes.

It encouraged parents and guardians to take advantage of the free registration service to ensure children are properly documented from birth and can access essential services linked to legal identity.