By Amin Kef Sesay
The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) has embarked on a significant initiative aimed at transforming birth and death registration services across Sierra Leone. The project, backed by a philanthropic grant from the U.S.-based organization “Vital Strategies Inc.”, is titled: “Strengthening Births and Deaths Registration Services within the CRVS System in Sierra Leone.”
This project is set to revolutionize how birth and death registration services are accessed in communities and health facilities by integrating digital technologies. The initiative aims to increase public engagement with these services, enhance the accuracy and completeness of vital statistics and ensure robust and effective program management.
To drive the project’s success, Director General, Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, has established a dedicated Project Delivery Team. This team includes representatives from the Finance, Procurement, Births and Deaths, Vital Statistics and Research, Policy and Planning, ICT and IEC Directorates. The team will operate under close supervision from NCRA’s leadership to ensure the project meets its one-year deadline.
The project’s launch was marked by intensive training for health workers and NCRA staff on the new technology and software. Additionally, the initiative involves the distribution of 48 new laptops and internet modems, each with a quarterly subscription for the project’s duration, to 48 selected health facilities across Sierra Leone’s 16 districts.
This effort reflects the NCRA’s commitment to strengthening partnerships and enhancing civil registration and identification services. Director General, Mohamed Massaquoi, expressed his gratitude to Vital Strategies Inc. for their crucial support saying he is optimistic about the project’s impact. He encouraged his staff to fully engage with the initiative, confident that it will meet its objectives and benefit the population of Sierra Leone significantly.
