Utilising the three delays model in understanding barriers to accessing birth registration services in Kabwe District, Zambia

Abstract

Proof of age, through a birth certificate, helps to protect children from abuse, promotes their rights and establishes their legal identity. However, even though the rate of registration stands at 77% globally, 150 million children under the age of five remain unregistered. Zambia’s birth registration rate of 14% is the second lowest in the world. Therefore, this paper utilises the Three Delays Model to understand barriers to accessing birth registration services in Zambia’s Kabwe District. It adopts a descriptive-exploratory case study, employing a sequential mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data, collected through questionnaires submitted to 105 randomly selected parents from an estimated 10,500 households in the three sampled wards (Munga, Chililalila and Justin Kabwe), was analysed using SPSS. Qualitative data, gathered using interviews held with eight purposively selected key informants, was analysed thematically. The study discovered that only 23% of parents have registered their children’s births. However, the only two first-delay barriers are lack of incentives for birth certificates and lack of information on birth registration, affecting 51% and 56% of parents, respectively. The only two second delay barriers are distance to birth registration facilities, affecting 31% of the parents, and geographical location, with rural-based parents less likely to access birth registration services (0%) compared to 37% and 31% of those residing in urban and peri-urban areas, respectively. There are no third-delay barriers. And regression analysis indicates that none of the barriers have a statistically significant strong relationship with the registration status of children. The study recommends improving sensitisation, decentralising birth registration further and making birth certificates a requirement in accessing public services, especially school enrolment.