Mobile technology speeds up birth registration in Tanzania

TANZANIA has managed to register over 420,000 newborns using mobile technology since 2011, a new report released by GSMA in London has said.

The report, ‘Embracing the Digital Revolution; Policies for Building the Digital Economy’ says the success of the birth registration process was achieved through a collaborative effort between government and the private sector.

The mobile birth registration process kicked off in 2011 through a partnership between the government, mobile operator Tigo and UNICEF through a five-year birth registration strategy that aimed to make the process more affordable, widely accessible and efficient.

With mobile technology, it is now expected that by 2019, an estimated 90 per cent of newborns will be registered and issued with certificates, while 70 per cent under the age of five not registered will be reached through linkages with health and social protection services that are already in contact with the children.

The GSMA Chief Regulatory Officer, John Giusi, while releasing the report, encouraged governments to pursue policies that motivate investment and promote development of digital economies, building an inclusive digital future for their citizens.

Mr Giusi said digitalisation was enabling businesses to operate more efficiently by connecting new markets and customers, while connecting governments with its citizens thereby positively impacting on the latter’s daily lives.

“As the digital and mobile revolution continues to accelerate, new technologies artificial intelligence, robotics and the Internet of Things promise great benefits but also continued disruption resulting from the digitalisation of many industry sectors,” he said.

Forward-looking policies can enable citizens, businesses, societies and countries to prosper, improving lives and livelihoods, while mitigating the possible adverse effects that can accompany economic change.

According to the report, when the new mobile registration system was first piloted, the registration rate of children under five in the pilot areas increased from 8 per cent to 45 per cent within six months. Factors contributing to the low birth registration include lack of money and few registrar officers, which led mothers to give birth at home.

“With only one registrar office per district, many new parents must make at least two long journeys in order to register their child and collect a birth certificate.

Many parents simply lack the financial means to pay for the cost of travel and the mandatory registration fee,” stated the report.