Assessment of the Status of Birth Registration in Gamo Gofa Zone and Konso Woreda, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract Background: According to the monitoring results in Africa, the regional average completeness rate of birth registration has increased from around 40% to 56% from 2012 to 2015. Ethiopia is among the countries with less than 20% of births registered. Even if Ethiopia, with its 38,000 health extension workers already deployed on the ground and increasingly linked to communities through the Women’s Development Army, had a unique opportunity to rapidly accelerate the coverage of birth registration but until the recent time, the rate of birth registration in Ethiopia is very low.Objective: This study was aimed to assess the level of birth registration, status of awareness about birth registration and factors affecting birth registration status in in Gamo Gofa and Zegen area people Zone SNNPR, Ethiopia. Methods: The study was s in Gamo Gofa and Gegen area people Zone using pretest quasi experimental study design. The data (was collected in November 2018. The quantitative data was collected by structured interviewer-administered questionnaire from 498 households. Qualitative data was collected through Focal Group Discussion using interview guides from key informants. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means and standard deviations were employed to present finding. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine association with birth registration practice. Model fitness was checked.Results: The study shows that majority of the respondents were male 300(60.2%) and females account 198(39.8%). The finding also revealed that the prevalence of birth registration among children age below 5 years old is 12.1%; whereas, prevalence of birth registration practice among age group between 5 and 18 years old is 14.9%. The level of awareness on birth registration among study participants accounts 33.7%. In the multivariate analysis sex, religion, level of education, awareness on birth registration institution, radio program and VERA office have a significant association with the birth registration.Conclusion: The overall level of practice of birth registration in this study is far lower than many studies from other countries. Thus, implementing remedial action in order to improve birth registration is essential.