"Do we register our deaths?": Motivations and barriers to death registration in Ghana

Abstract

Death registration is generally low in sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana. This study investigated the factors that motivate and serve as barriers in registering for a death certificate. A cross-sectional qualitative study design was used to interview twelve birth and death registration officers in Ghana. The interviews were analysed using Atlas.ti version 7.5. The results show that death registration in Ghana is generally low. Processing of a deceased person’s estate emerged as the main motivation for the registration of death. Other motivators included the obligation to register deaths and the requirement of death certificates for burial. The barriers to death registration included the governance system at the cemetery, the hastiness in burying the dead, the perception of cost of death certificates, and less importance attached to death registration. Policymakers should consider these factors in the design of interventions to increase the rate of death registration in Ghana.