Department registers 3,323 deaths in Western Region

Mr. Stephen Odjobi Ntow, the Western Regional Director of the Department of Birth and Death, has said the Region registered 3,323 deaths last year.

He said out of the figure 3,285 were adults and 38 infants.

Mr. Ntow told the GNA in an interview that the Department also registered 38,461 infants who were less than 12 months – 19,995 males and 18,466 females – whilst 14,320 infants who were one year old to five years were also registered.

He appealed to the government to resource the Department to operate effectively, saying the funds from the government treasury for administrative work was insufficient.

Mr Ntow said if the Department were well resourced to register births and deaths, there would be no need for national census in every 10 years.

He said in advanced countries the authorities just calculate the annual birth and death rates and deduct from the previous ones to get the population figure without conducting population census.

Mr Ntow said staff strength of the Department was inadequate. The region requires about 120 personnel for effective work but has only 23 staff and some volunteers who are not putting up their best because of lack of motivation package.

He said the Department did not have offices of their own at the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and had to operate from verandas.

Mr Ntow appealed for more logistics and said the Department did not have vehicles.

Source: GNA