Tema records 10,506 fresh births in 2010

The Tema Metropolitan Office of the Birth and Death Registry, recorded a total of 10,506 births last year.

Mrs Hannah Twumasi-Ankrah, Metropolitan Birth and Death Registrar who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Wednesday said the births, spanning a day old to one year, were made up of 5,320 males, and 5,186 females.

She said the official record did not reflect the actual number of births in the Metropolis.

Mrs Twumasi-Ankrah said the registry recorded a total of 3,810 late births or people over one year old during the period under review, comprising 2,204 males and 1,606 females.

The metropolis captured a total of 2,167 deaths last year, as compared to the 2,029 registered in 2009.

Out of the figure 1,208 were males and 959 females. Infants under the age of one accounted for 78 of the deaths.

Mrs Twumasi-Ankrah attributed the high mortality rate among men to occupational risk.

She said bad lifestyles such as alcoholism and smoking were also a common factor.

She urged the public to register their children within one year free of charge at weighing centres and during mass registration exercises.

Mrs Twumasi-Ankrah said registration of birth and death helped the country to derive the accurate information needed for socio-economic planning.

She said to bring the work of the registry to the doorsteps of residents in the metropolis, an additional office would be opened this month at the Tema West Sub-Metro office at TEXPO, to serve communities along  Spintex road as well as  Sakumono, Lashibi , Klagon and its environs.

Source: GNA