Understanding whose births get registered: a cross sectional study in Bauchi and Cross River states, Nigeria.

Atam E Adi,Tukur Abdu,Ubi E Ebri,Neil Andersson,Anne Cockcroft,Amir Khan,Musa Haruna Rashid

doi:10.1186/s13104-015-1026-y

Atam E Adi, Tukur Abdu + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-015-1026-y

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Abstract

BackgroundIt is a recognized child right to acquire a name and a nationality, and birth registration may be necessary to allow access to services, but the level of birth registration is low in Nigeria. A household survey about management of childhood illnesses provided an opportunity to examine actionable determinants of birth registration of children in Bauchi and Cross River states of Nigeria.MethodsTrained field teams visited households in a stratified random cluster sample of 90 enumeration areas in each state. They administered a questionnaire to women 14–49 years old which included questions about birth registration of their children 0–47 months old and about socio-economic and other factors potentially related to birth registration, including education of the parents, poverty (food sufficiency), marital status of the mother, maternal antenatal care and place of delivery of the last pregnancy. Bivariate then multivariate analysis examined associations with birth registration. Facilitators later conducted separate male and female focus group discussions in the same 90 communities in each state, discussing the reasons for the findings about levels of birth registration.ResultsNearly half (45%) of 8602 children in Cross River State and only a fifth (19%) of 9837 in Bauchi State had birth certificates (seen or unseen). In both states, children whose mothers attended antenatal care and who delivered in a government health facility in their last pregnancy were more likely to have a birth certificate, as were children of more educated parents, from less poor households, and from urban communities. Focus group discussions revealed that many people did not know about birth certificates or where to get them, and parents were discouraged from getting birth certificates because of the unofficial payments involved.ConclusionThere are low levels of birth registration in Bauchi and Cross River states, particularly among disadvantaged households. As a result of this study, both states have planned interventions to increase birth registration, including closer collaboration between the National Population Commissions and state health services.

Highlights

IntroductionBirth registration of children may be required for access to health, education and other services in some places; it allows accurate estimation of age (for example in relation to military service or marriage); it helps in reuniting separated children and parents; and it can provide important population information for planning of services [1]
Children whose mothers attended antenatal care and who delivered in a government health facility in their last pregnancy were more likely to have a birth certificate, as were children of more educated parents, from less poor households, and from urban communities
As part of a household survey on childhood illnesses and their management, we examined the level of birth registration and the socio-economic and other factors potentially related to birth registration among children aged 0–47 months old in Cross River and Bauchi states of Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

Birth registration of children may be required for access to health, education and other services in some places; it allows accurate estimation of age (for example in relation to military service or marriage); it helps in reuniting separated children and parents; and it can provide important population information for planning of services [1]. In at least some places, a birth certificate may be a requirement for school enrollment in Nigeria [11] and it is said to be required for obtaining a job in the public sector [10]

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