BD can boost birth reg to 69pc thru hospitals: Experts

Bangladesh could raise its birth-registration rate from the current 50 per cent to 69 per cent if hospitals are legally tasked with registering births, experts said on Monday.

The observation came during a workshop titled "Birth and Death Registration in Bangladesh: Progress, Challenges, and the Way Forward", organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Speakers stressed that amending the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004, to assign hospitals the legal responsibility of registration would accelerate progress. Under the current law, families are responsible for reporting births and deaths, while the health sector's role is optional.

They highlighted that despite recent improvements, Bangladesh still lags behind global and regional averages.

Currently, only 50 per cent of births and 47 per cent of deaths are officially registered, compared with global averages of 77 per cent and 74 per cent. The government has committed to achieving universal birth and death registration by 2030.

The event, held at a city hotel, was attended by 26 senior journalists from print,  television, and online media.

Experts argued that making hospital reporting mandatory could automatically cover nearly 67 per cent of children born in healthcare facilities.

Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh country lead of GHAI, said, "It is imperative to amend the law urgently and legally bestow the responsibility of registration on health facilities to achieve universal birth and death registration by 2030."

The workshop also noted that several countries in Asia and the Pacific have achieved near-universal registration by adopting hospital-based systems.

Speakers emphasised the need to strengthen legislation, ensure effective implementation, and address challenges such as low public awareness, manpower shortages, technological limitations, and complex reporting procedures.

The session aimed to raise awareness among senior journalists about the critical role of hospitals in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 16.9, which calls for legal identity for all, including birth registration.

Experts said that such reforms would not only improve national statistics but also provide children with access to essential services and legal protections from birth.

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