The Births and Deaths Registry (BDR) has concluded a birth records recovery exercise in the Abelemkpe and Alajo communities in the Greater Accra Region, aimed at restoring lost records and expanding access to secure birth certification.
The exercise, led by the Acting Registrar of the Registry, Mr Samuel Adom Botchway, sought to recover birth records lost during recent floods, register unrecorded births, replace old manual records and issue birth certificates to residents whose records existed but who had not received their certificates.
The exercise attracted hundreds of residents from the two communities, with registration officers working from the afternoon into late night hours to attend to the large numbers.
A major highlight of the exercise was the presentation of a birth certificate to the Chief of Alajo, Nii Armah Adjor II, by Mr Botchway at the Alajo Astro Turf.
The presentation was warmly received by residents and underscored the Registry’s efforts to promote birth registration and secure documentation at the community level.
Speaking after the presentation, Mr Botchway described the recovery exercise as an important step toward strengthening and securing Ghana’s civil registration system.
“We are recovering records that were lost or remained manual. 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.
He noted that the initiative forms part of broader efforts to ensure that all citizens are captured within a reliable and modern civil registration database.
Nii Armah Adjor II expressed appreciation to the Births and Deaths Registry and the Acting Registrar for bringing the exercise to Alajo and for the honour of receiving his birth certificate during the event.
The chief also urged residents to cooperate with the Registry and ensure that every child in the community is registered at birth.
The Births and Deaths Registry reminded the public that birth registration for children below 12 months is free of charge and encouraged parents and guardians to take advantage of the service at district offices and during community outreach programmes.
The Registry said it would continue rolling out similar recovery exercises in communities across the country as part of efforts to improve birth registration coverage and provide citizens with secure and verifiable identity records.
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