In Ethiopia, the birth registration rate remains very low, despite remarkable progress made in health and other development areas. According to the most recent 2016 Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS, 2016), nationally, only 3% of children under five years of age had their birth registered. In 2012, the Federal Government of Ethiopia enacted legislation that established the agency responsible for vital events registration. This law also made it compulsory for caregivers to register vital events, including births.
Using the PMA2020 platform, the PMA-CRVS (civil registration and vital statistics) study was conducted to identify facilitators and barriers to birth registration among community members and among birth registration providers. The study also measured percentage of children, 0-5, in the study regions who had their births registered.