Malawi vital statistics and verbal autopsy report imperative in ensuring citizen identity information secured- Ng’oma

Lilongwe, April 23 Mana: The Minister of Homeland Security, Honourable Ezekiel Peter Ng’oma, says the report signifies the government's commitment to enhance data correction, processing and its usage in the country while securing the legal identity of every citizen's information electronically.

He made the remarks during the official launch of the vital statistics and verbal autopsy at Crossroads Hotel on Tuesday in Lilongwe.

Ng’oma explained that since the establishment of the NRB and also through the help of the National Registration Act, the government has embarked on a transformative journey moving away from the outdated 2004 Birth and Death Registration Act.

“Before these reforms, civil registration was not compulsory for the indigenous population which resulted into countless Malawians born before 2015 to be without birth or death certificates hence it’s launching today is very imperative as it will help to address this legacy while striving for a future where every citizen is recognised and afforded Equal rights as guaranteed by the constitution of the nation.

“For government to make important decisions, they have to know the number of people in the country starting with the number of people born each day at every hospital and the number of people who have died per day to make good development plans that includes economy, education, health and others to avoid over budgeting for the nation,” explained Ng’oma.

Principal secretary under the National Registration Bureau (NRB), Mphatso Augustine Sambo, said the implementation of the civic registration commenced in 2015 by the introduction of the birth and death certificates, with the first registration on the first of August 2015 in four districts of the country.

“From 2015 up to the year 2022, we reached 28 districts and the bureau noted that other deaths are happening outside the health facilities due to many factors and it is estimated to about 2.5 percent across the country and about 75 percent of the deaths occur in the communities hence as such the process introduced the community both and death registration and up to date only ten districts are remaining to finalise the process.

“The bureau is working hand in hand with the ministry of health and the national statistics office of that nation to come up with all the right processes and all health facilities to be able to register birth and death certificates easily in line with our mandate and procedures,” he said.

Meanwhile, Principal secretary in the ministry of health, Steven Kayuni expressed gratitude over its launch as it will enable the ministry to register and know the number of children born per day in every district as well as knowing the number of people who have died each day electronically in line with the NRBs procedures and mandates.

“The official launch of the Malawi vital statistics and verbal autopsy report will help the ministry to be able to identify the causes of deaths of the people at the hospitals as well as it will help the ministry to plan better when it comes to it’s services by offering trainings to all health personnel on the most common diseases that causes death among people in the country.

“We need to share data with our facilities and be able to learn about it by discovering the top ten causes of deaths in the country and finding the best preventive measures,” he explained.