Males constituted 51 per cent of child birth in 2014

Accra, May 6, GNA - Ghana recorded 476,447 child birth in 2014; of which 244, 223 were males constituting 51 per cent.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday, Mr John Yao Agbeko, Registrar of Birth and Death Registry, said the number constituted 57 per cent of the targeted figure of 831,337 for last year.

The regional breakdown include: Western 43,746, consisting of males 22,158 and female 21,588; Central 47,857, consisting of 24,352 males and 23,505 females; Greater Accra 85,019, made of 43,828 males and 41,191 females; Eastern had a total of 38,762 consisting of 20,187 male and 18,572 females; and Volta recorded 26,286, comprising 13,338 males and 12,948 females.

The rest are Ashanti 95,112, consisting of 49,064 males and 46,058 females; Brong- Ahafo 39,529, encompassing 20,867 males and 18,662 females; while the Northern recorded 63,766, comprising 33,134 males and 30,632 females; the Upper East had a total of 21,675, consisting of 11,281 males and 10,281 females; whereas the Upper West had 16,297 new births, entailing 8,518 males and 7,779 females.

Mr Agbeko said at birth, male children out number their female counterparts; explaining that research had shown that as these children grow, the chances of survival of a female child was higher than that of a male.

He said at 15 years, the figure would become balanced; after which the females then out number their male counterparts due to death.

Mr Agbeko said the number of new birth recorded by the Registry in 2014 was below the national immunisation figure of 66 per cent.

He said there was the need for a strong collaboration between the Registry and the Ghana Health Service, so that both immunisation and birth registration would go hand in hand.

The Registrar said apart from being the first legal acknowledgement of a child's existence, the registration of births is fundamental to providing access to health care, ensuring that children enrol in school at the right age and get a requisite national identity card.

He appealed to parents to register their children as soon as they are born.

Mr Agbeko said this year, the Registry would be partnering a mobile company to rollout a mobile birth registration campaign in areas with low coverage.

He lauded the United Nations International Children's Fund for the immeasurable support to the Registry over the years.

GNA