mobile registration and education as solutions to low birth registration rates in nigeria december...
TRANSCRIPT
Mobile Registration and Education as Solutions to Low Birth
Registration Rates in Nigeria
December 2012
Amy McCarty & Sanchit Waray
94-812 | Technology for International Development
Overview
Scope of the problem
Birth registration - What & Why
Registration in Nigeria
Barriers to registration
Technology solutions
Education campaign
Conclusion
A fundamental right
"To make people count, we first need to be able to count people”
Dr. Lee Jong-Wook, Director General of the World Health Organization in 2003
“The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.”
1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 7
And yet,
...50 million births each year are not registered
...in Africa 2 out of 3 children are not registered
...in Nigeria 70% of the ~5 million born each year are not registered
The actual situation
Comparison
What is birth registration?
''the official recording of the birth of a child through an administrative process of the state and is coordinated by a particular branch of government. It is a permanent and official record of a child’s existence''
- UNICEF definition
Why register?
Registration Logistics
o National Population Commission maintains vital statistics
o Registered by a region’s official Registrar
o Should occur within 60 days of birth
o Can occur within 12 months with fees
o Fees often waived for children under 18 years
Barriers to Registration
Internationally- lack of priority
and support
- lack of actionable plans
Nationally
- lack of political will
- lack of resource
- various legal barriers
Locally - lack of resources
- fear of discrimination or persecution
- difficulty in following registration procedures
- lack of awareness and motivation
Difficulty following registration procedures & lack of motivation
Mobile Registration 11th in the world in cell phone usage
Individuals
- Resource intensive, limited reach, literacy issues
Healthcare personnel
- 66% are home births & 34% attended by skilled health personnel
Religious officials
- 89% attend religious services
- Naming ceremonies common
- Baptism law
Technology
EU-UNICEF Project
$7.8 million for 8 countries
o free registration
ouse digital techniques
omobile technology to register remotely
oprovide link between registration & health services
Non-profit Role
Education Campaign
oMobile phones are the most commonly used media platform and 61.3% of population is literate
oPlatform: audio clip education campaign, focusing on children's stories
o Main issue: attaining subscribers
ConclusionTwo unique solutions:
o Involving non profit organizations and paying people for registration
oCarrying out the process through the hands of religious leaders
