Governmental entities urged to designate health facilities as primary sources for the registration of births and deaths.

Governmental entities urged to designate health facilities as primary sources for the registration of births and deaths.

In a significant move aimed at ensuring every child in Bangladesh secures a legal identity, civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for the amendment of the existing laws to designate healthcare facilities as primary informants for births and deaths registration.

The call was made at a meeting organised by Nari Maitree, a women-led social justice organisation, and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator. Representatives from the Ministry of Health's Public Health Wing, the Public Health Foundation, UNICEF, Vital Strategies, and other stakeholders attended the meeting held at the Azimur Rahman Conference Hall, The Daily Star Centre, Dhaka.

The proposed amendment, if enacted, would require all healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, and community health centres, to directly notify births and deaths to the civil registration system. This measure is expected to significantly improve birth registration rates, which currently stand at 49% for children registered on time, despite relevant laws being in place for more than 150 years.

The current system requires registration at designated NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) centres, and hospital-based death registration with medical death certification remains limited. Stakeholders, including CSOs, have strongly urged the government and the Ministry of Health to simplify and streamline the birth and death registration process by involving healthcare facilities directly.

The Ministry of Health and other government agencies have set ambitious targets to achieve near-complete birth registration by 2024 and 100% by 2030, showing commitment to improving registration systems. However, bureaucratic delays, lack of awareness, cultural and religious factors, and complicated registration processes are significant barriers that have so far prevented full implementation of reforms involving health facilities as primary informants.

Vital Strategies' Country Coordinator Md Moyeen Uddin suggested that a complete CRVS (civil registration and vital statistics) system could potentially eliminate the need for a national census. Dr Shah Ali Akbar Ashrafi, a Public Health Specialist, supported the idea of adopting global best practices for registration. Adopting such practices, where healthcare providers act as primary informants, would make registration faster, more accurate, and more comprehensive.

Nari Maitree Executive Director Shaheen Akhter Dolly emphasised the need for unified CSO action to reform the Birth and Death Registration Act. A policy advocacy memorandum signed by CSOs at the meeting will be submitted to the Chief Adviser, urging swift legal reform and clear operational rules.

It is important to note that the formal designation of healthcare facilities as primary informants for births and deaths registration has been proposed and recommended by advocacy groups but not yet fully enacted or operational at scale. The reception by the Ministry is cautiously supportive as they pursue digitization and capacity improvements; nonetheless, practical challenges and systemic inertia remain significant obstacles.

As of mid-2025, no new information has been provided about the current status of the Birth and Death Registration Act or the government's response to the CSO's call for amendment. Approximately 70% of births and 20% of deaths in Bangladesh occur in healthcare facilities, making their involvement in the registration process crucial for improving timeliness and completeness. The memorandum aims to ensure timely and reliable registration of births and deaths in Bangladesh, a step towards ensuring every child's right to a legal identity.

1. Science and statistics indicate that over 70% of births in Bangladesh take place in healthcare facilities.
2. The proposed amendment to the existing laws aims to designate healthcare facilities as primary informants for births and deaths registration.
3. The meeting, organized by Nari Maitree, highlighted the importance of simplifying and streamlining the birth and death registration process.
4. The government agencies have set ambitious targets to achieve near-complete birth registration by 2024 and 100% by 2030.
5. The current registration process involves bureaucratic delays, lack of awareness, cultural and religious factors, and complicated processes.
6. Md Moyeen Uddin, Vital Strategies' Country Coordinator, suggested that a complete CRVS system could eliminate the need for a national census.
7. Dr Shah Ali Akbar Ashrafi, a Public Health Specialist, supported the adoption of global best practices for registration.
8. The memorandum signed by CSOs urges the Chief Adviser to enact the amendment and establish clear operational rules.
9. The formal designation of healthcare facilities has been proposed but not yet fully enacted or operational at scale.
10. The memorandum aims to ensure timely and reliable registration of births and deaths, a step towards every child's right to a legal identity.
11. The move towards universal healthcare facilities' involvement in registration is a significant stride in workplace wellness, addressing medical conditions and chronic diseases.
12. Improved birth registration rates could reduce the incidence of unregistered children, addressing issues related to mental health, children's rights, and parenting.
13. Comprehensive registration information would contribute to the growth of environmental science, climate change research, and general news.
14. The involvement of healthcare facilities in registration would also lead to better data collection for nutrition, digestive health, respiratory conditions, and eye health.
15. Accurate data from registration could enable effective response to health and wellness crises, such as pandemics, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
16. Therapies and treatments for various medical conditions would benefit from data obtained via efficient registration processes.
17. The proposed amendment might help address Sleep and aging-related conditions by ensuring timely and accurate registration.
18. The registration system would contribute to the development of skin care, hearing, and skin conditions research.
19. The proposed move aligns with the industry's emphasis on incorporating health and wellness, fitness and exercise, and lifestyle factors in various goods and services.
20. Fashion and beauty and food and drink sectors could benefit from the proposed amendment by integrating these factors into their products and services.
21. The financial sector, including investing and wealth management, would also be affected by the increased transparency and data availability arising from the amendment.
22. Home and garden, business, and personal finance industries would gain from the improved access to reliable data derived from comprehensive registration.
23. The proposed amendment could contribute to the understanding and improvement of men's health, including reproductive and sexual health.
24. For women, the amendment would improve women's health, particularly reproductive and maternity health services.
25. The amendment could also positively impact relationships, as well-registered family members would have easier access to inherited properties, assets, and other benefits.
26. In addition, various environmental issues, such as climate change and its impact on agriculture, could be monitored more accurately with the proposed amendment.
27. The increased availability of data via the proposed amendment would be advantageous for industries like cybersecurity, technology, and artificial intelligence, leading to improvements in data and cloud computing and data-driven decision-making.

Read also: