Birth Registration
Mozambique
Declaration and Notification
Informants
Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
The informant is the person who reports to the local registrar the occurrence of a vital event within the prescribed time limit. The law should establish, clearly and unequivocally, one person primarily responsible for providing the information needed for birth registration to the civil registrar. The head of the health facility should be the primary informant for live births occurring in a health facility. Alternative informants, in order of priority, are: mother, father, nearest relative of the mother, any adult having knowledge of the facts. Additionally, the legislation should explicitly state what type of facility is considered a “health facility” for purposes of being an informant.Law Source
Mozambique Legal Analysis
The order of priority of informants is as follows: either parent; the nearest capable relative present at the place of birth; director of the establishment where the birth occurred; head of the household in the house where the birth took place; the doctor or midwife who assisted the birth, or in their absence, any person who attended the birth; a person authorized by the parent or guardian; or the community authority or religious dignitary present at birth.
Where parents or relatives have not declared birth, the director of a health facility and the attending health professional are allowed to declare the birth, if born in their establishment or health facility.
Law Source
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
It is recommended that the law establish clearly and unequivocally one person primarily responsible for providing the information needed for the registration to the civil registrar. If a live birth occurs outside a health facility, the birth attendant (such as a midwife, nurse, doctor or other medical professional), should be the primary informant designated by law. However, the law may designate alternative informants and establish the order in which each of them must assume his or her responsibilities. Alternative informants, in order of priority, are: mother, father, nearest relative of the mother, any adult having knowledge of the facts.Mozambique Legal Analysis
Parents still have the primary responsibility to declare births occurring outside facilities. However, when they cannot declare a birth, the nearest capable relative or head of the household where the birth occurred must declare the birth.
Law Source
Role of the Health Sector
What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring in health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
For births occurring in health facilities, the most effective approach is to designate the head of the institution (or designee) as informant. Some countries follow a two-step process, in which the health sector notifies the registrar of the birth (providing some, but no all, needed information), but he parents must still declare the birth to the registrar in order for the birth to be registered. This two-step approach is considered less effective in ensuring high registration rates. In some countries, the health sector is neither informant nor notifier, but instead simply issues a document to the parent(s) that serves as proof of the birth. The health sectors limited role in this third option is not recommended practice. Finally in some countries, specified health staff may be designated as registrars or assigned some registrar functions, which helps bring registration closer to the people.Law Source
Mozambique Legal Analysis
Health sector workers are among the informants listed in Article 119 of the Civil Registry Code. Doctors or midwives are obliged to declare births if relatives or parents do not.
Further, under Article 18B of the Civil Registry Code, health workers are notifiers, which means that they must capture and share data on births occurring in health facilities, electronically. The system then assigns a National Unique Identification Number (NUIC) to the newborn, even if the newborn has not yet been named.
Law Source
What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring outside health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
For births that occur outside a health facility, the most effective approach is to designate the birth attendant - e.g., doctor, nurse, or midwife - as the informant. For births occurring outside a health facility without a birth attendant, an effective approach is to designate community health workers (including vaccination workers, nurses, doctors and other health professionals who see newborns for paediatric visits) as informants to register the birth of children that are unregistered and visited by them. Alternatively, some countries follow a two-step process, wherein the healthcare workers notify the birth to the civil registrar; however, the parent or other informant must still declare the birth to the civil registrar in order to register the birth.Mozambique Legal Analysis
Community health workers and midwives play a crucial role in the health sector. Any community health worker or midwife who attends a home birth or births within the community has a duty to report births, under Article 119 of the Civil Registry Code.
Law Source
Role of Local Leaders and Other Institutions
Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in prison or other detention facility?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
For births in custody, it is recommended that the law assign responsibility to a specified person, such as head of detention facility or head of health services within detention facility, to notify the civil registrar of such births.Mozambique Legal Analysis
Article 119(c) of the Civil Registry Code requires that births in prison or other closed facilities be notified to the civil registrar by the director of that establishment.
Law Source
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
For births occurring outside a health facility, local leaders or local authorities may have a role in providing parents with proof of the event (such as a birth notification), notifying the birth to the local registrar, or acting as the informant. It can be good practice to Integrate civil registration functions with the duties and responsibilities of established local authorities who have close direct links to communitiesMozambique Legal Analysis
Community authorities and religious dignitaries are amongst the list of people who may report births, as listed in Article 119(g) of the Civil Registry Code. Thus, local leaders are legally empowered to declare births occurring in their communities, when other informants in higher priority, are unable to.