Information Collected

Ghana Legal Analysis

In terms of the two-step process that is utilized, one form (Form 7) is completed by the health facility or the traditional birth attendant, and another (Form 1) is completed by the informant (one or both parents in most cases). The Registrar must complete an additional form (Form 4) for submission to the Government Statistician. To further complicate the picture, there is a different form for online birth registration, not prescribed by the law, which captures all of the information required by Form 4. The analysis here is based on the information required by Form 4.

Some of the UN recommended high priority statistical topics are collected at birth registration. In general, note that in cases of doubtful paternity, the father’s details are collected only on the joint request of the mother and the father, or with the consent of the mother’s family if she is deceased.
*Date of registration is not recorded on Form 4 or on the online form, but might be automatically captured for online registrations.
*Place of registration is not always relevant since the birth registration might be done online instead of in-person at a registration office; but Form 4 records the name of the registrar, which should indicate the place of registration.
The *Date of birth of mother/father is omitted; only their ages are recorded, but their dates of birth could be accessed via the national ID number that must be provided.
The *Place/country of birth of mother is not recorded, but her nationality is. Other data that is omitted, includes:
*Weight of the newborn; *Marital status of mother; *Duration of residence in usual place of mother; *Fetal deaths to mother during lifetime; *Date of last previous live birth ; *Date of Marriage.

Ghana Legal Analysis

In terms of the two-step process that is utilized, one form (Form 15) is completed by the health facility and another (Form 3) is completed by the informant (a relative of the deceased in most cases). The Registrar must complete an additional form (Form 6) for submission to the Government Statistician. To further complicate the picture, there is a different form for online death registration, not prescribed by the law, which captures all of the information required by Form 6. The analysis here is based on the information required by Form 6.

Most of the UN recommended high priority statistical topics are collected at death registration. Most of the UN recommended high priority statistical topics are collected at death registration.
*Date of registration is recorded on Form 6 but not on the online form - although the date might be automatically captured for online registrations.
*Place of registration is not always relevant since the birth registration might be done online instead of in-person at a registration office; but Form 6 records the name of the registrar, which should indicate the place of registration. The deceased’s
*Date of birth is not recorded, only the deceased’s age – but the date of birth could be accessed via the national ID number that must be provided.
Other information that is omitted includes:
*Attendant at birth (for deaths under 1 year of age);
*Place of usual residence of mother (for deaths under 1 year of age).

Ghana Legal Analysis

The District Registrar must complete Form 2 based on information from the informant, as well as Form 5 for submission to the Government Statistician. Form 5 includes information that is not recorded on Form 2, but which would presumably also need to be collected from the informant. The analysis here is based on the information required by Form 5.

Few of the UN recommended high priority statistical topics are collected for fetal death registration.
Regarding *Place of registration, only the region is recorded. In respect of the mother, only her name and ID number are recorded.
The form omits these details: *Date of birth; *Children born alive to mother; *Fetal deaths to mother during lifetime; *Date of last live birth; *Place of usual residence; *Date of marriage, *Date of birth of father, *Father's usual residence (only “residential address” is recorded). Neither *Weeks of gestation nor *Cause of death is recorded.

It should be noted that the legal provisions regarding inclusion of the father’s details in cases of doubtful paternity in a birth registration are not linked to the registration of fetal deaths. Thus it is not clear how doubtful paternity is handled in such cases.