Birth Registration
Mozambique
Declaration and Notification
Informants
Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Law Source
Mozambique Legal Analysis
The order of priority of informants is as follows: either parent; the nearest capable relative present at the place of birth; director of the establishment where the birth occurred; head of the household in the house where the birth took place; the doctor or midwife who assisted the birth, or in their absence, any person who attended the birth; a person authorized by the parent or guardian; or the community authority or religious dignitary present at birth.
Where parents or relatives have not declared birth, the director of a health facility and the attending health professional are allowed to declare the birth, if born in their establishment or health facility.
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Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
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Mozambique Legal Analysis
Parents still have the primary responsibility to declare births occurring outside facilities. However, when they cannot declare a birth, the nearest capable relative or head of the household where the birth occurred must declare the birth.
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Role of the health sector
What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring in health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
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Mozambique Legal Analysis
Health sector workers are among the informants listed in Article 119 of the Civil Registry Code. Doctors or midwives are obliged to declare births if relatives or parents do not.
Further, under Article 18B of the Civil Registry Code, health workers are notifiers, which means that they must capture and share data on births occurring in health facilities, electronically. The system then assigns a National Unique Identification Number (NUIC) to the newborn, even if the newborn has not yet been named.
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What is the role of the health sector in birth registration for births occurring outside health facilities?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
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Mozambique Legal Analysis
Community health workers and midwives play a crucial role in the health sector. Any community health worker or midwife who attends a home birth or births within the community has a duty to report births, under Article 119 of the Civil Registry Code.
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Role of local leaders and other institutions
What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for births that occur in the community?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
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Mozambique Legal Analysis
Community authorities and religious dignitaries are amongst the list of people who may report births, as listed in Article 119(g) of the Civil Registry Code. Thus, local leaders are legally empowered to declare births occurring in their communities, when other informants in higher priority, are unable to.
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Does the law provide a process for the registration of births occurring in custody or other detention facility?
Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
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Mozambique Legal Analysis
Article 119(c) of the Civil Registry Code requires that births in prison or other closed facilities be notified to the civil registrar by the director of that establishment.