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Birth Registration
Zambia
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Zambia
Birth Registration
Declaration and Notification
Declaration and Notification
Informants
Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?
Mother
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.
The primary informants for births in every case are the mother and (if the parents are married) the father. If the parents fail to give notice, the duty in respect of a birth that takes place in a hospital or other institution passes to the person in charge of that institution, to each person present at the birth and to the person having charge of the child. All of these persons have a duty to report if the parents fail to give notice; the duty does not apply in sequence.
There is no definition of hospital or other institution, or heath facilities in general.
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Mother
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.
The primary informants for births in every case are the mother and (if the parents are married) the father. If the parents fail to give notice, the duty passes to any occupier of the house where the birth occurred, each person present at the birth and the person having charge of the child. All of these persons have a duty to report if the parents fail to give notice; the duty does not apply in sequence.
What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring in health facilities?
Informant
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.
The only role for health facilities in respect of births in those facilities is that the duty to inform the Registrar of the birth passes to the person in charge of the health facility if the parents fail to give notice of the birth.
What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring outside health facilities?
Informant
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.
There is no specific role for the health sector in respect of births that occur outside health facilities. A health professional who is present at the birth, like any other person who is present, has a duty to inform the Registrar of the birth if the parents fail to give notice.
Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in prison or other detention facility?
No
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.
The Births and Deaths Registration Act and its subsidiary enactments do not specifically address births that take place in custody. The Prisons Act as amended and its subsidiary enactments are also silent on births to persons in custody. The general duties of notification apply in such cases.
Law Source
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Registration
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 communities
Districts for the purposes of birth registration are identical with the administrative districts of Zambia. All District Secretaries for administrative districts are deemed to have been appointed as Registrars of Births and Deaths for their districts, and all Assistant District Secretaries are deemed to have been appointed as Deputy Registrars of Births and Deaths for their districts. The Minister must appoint suitable persons to be Assistant Registrars of Births and Deaths at district sub-centers. Assistant Registrars have a duty to assist informants within their areas to complete and sign notices of births and stillbirths.
