ZCZC
BSS-39
BIRTH-REGISTRATION
Proportion of registered births increases in S Asia: UNICEF
DHAKA, Dec 11, 2019 (BSS) – Proportion of registered births increased by
almost 20 per cent over past decade with important progress in South Asia,
particularly in Bangladesh, India and Nepal according to a global report.
Global progress of birth registration is driven largely by great strides in
South Asia, particularly in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, said the report
released by UNICEF today on its own 73rd birthday.
“The number of children whose births are officially registered has
increased significantly worldwide, yet 166 million children under-five, or 1
in 4, remain unregistered,” said the report.
Birth Registration for Every Child by 2030: Are we on track? – which
analyses data from 174 countries – shown that the proportion of children
under-five registered globally is up around 20 per cent from 10 years ago –
increasing from 63 per cent to 75 per cent.
In India, the proportion of registered children rose from 41 per cent in
2005-2006 to 80 per cent in 2015-2016. In recent years, UNICEF has worked
with the government of India to prioritize birth registration across states
by increasing and improving access to registration centres, training
officials and community workers and rolling out public awareness programmes,
particularly amongst the most vulnerable communities.
However, that does not mean that the situation is acceptable in South Asia
as almost 51 million children under 5 remain unregistered, the majority
living in India and Pakistan.
“We have come a long way but too many children are still slipping through
the cracks, uncounted and unaccounted for,” said UNICEF Executive Director
Henrietta Fore. “A child not registered at birth is invisible – nonexistent
in the eyes of the government or the law. Without proof of identity, children
are often excluded from education, health care and other vital services, and
are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse,” said Henrietta Fore.
By contrast, the majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa lag behind
the rest of the world, with Ethiopia (3 per cent), Zambia (11 per cent*) and
Chad (12 per cent) recording the lowest levels of registered births globally.
The report noted that nearly 1 in 3 countries – accounting for around a
third of the global population of children under the age of five – will need
to urgently speed up progress in order to meet the target of providing legal
identity for all, including birth registration, as set out in the 2030
Sustainable Development Goals. Barriers to registration globally include lack
of knowledge on how to register a child’s birth, unaffordable fees for
registering a birth or obtaining a birth certificate, fees for late
registration and long distances to the nearest registration facility.
Traditional customs and practices in some communities – such as new mothers
staying indoors – may also deter or prevent formal birth registration in the
permitted timeframe.
Even when children are registered, possession of a birth certificate is
less common, with 237 million children under-five globally – or slightly more
than 1 in 3 – lacking this official proof of registration.
South Asia is home to the largest proportion of children globally without
this proof of registration as 77 million do not have a birth certificate.
“Every child has a right to a name, a nationality and a legal identity, so
any improvement in increased registration levels is welcome news,” Fore said,
adding, “But as we have just marked the 30th anniversary of these rights – as
enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child – we must not stop
until every child is counted.”
BSS/PR/TAN/RY/1850 hrs