MONROVIA — UNICEF Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Representative to Liberia, Ahmad Shahvez, has called for strengthened collaborative efforts to address the significant challenges facing birth registration in Liberia. These challenges include the lack of reliable electricity and internet connectivity, insufficient domestic resources, and limited accountability at decentralized levels.
Speaking on behalf of UNICEF Representative Mr. Andy Brooks and OIC Mr. Amadou Alassane Cisse at the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day event in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County over the weekend, Mr. Shahvez emphasized that these ongoing challenges continue to impede progress, necessitating renewed commitments to overcome them.
“As we celebrate this year’s African Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day, we are hopeful that we can strengthen our collaborative efforts and renew our commitments to address these challenges and promote the integration of all civil registration and vital statistics systems,” he stated.
The event was held under the theme: “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitalization for Enhanced Inclusion.”
Mr. Shahvez underscored that collaborative efforts should focus on digital linkages to ensure accurate and timely data on births, deaths, and marriages. This, he said, would empower the government to make informed decisions on critical issues such as healthcare, education, and social welfare.
The UNICEF official added that by linking these systems, the country can verify identities and provide targeted services more effectively, reducing waste and duplication.
Mr. Shahvez further highlighted the importance of legal identity, describing it as a fundamental right essential for accessing education, healthcare, and participating in society, particularly for children.
“These are just a few of the reasons why strengthening the linkages of systems is crucial,” he asserted.
In addition, Mr. Shahvez, on behalf of UNICEF, urged collective action to ensure universal coverage for birth registration, emphasizing the urgency with the statement, “We must act now.”
He called on the Liberian government and development partners to collaborate, stressing that a newborn child not only needs the full set of vaccinations but also needs to be registered and receive a birth certificate—the passport to life.
Mr. Shahvez noted that under the leadership of the Minister of Health, UNICEF continues to advocate for the inclusion of birth registration services in essential and routine health service delivery packages.
This coordinated approach, he explained, enhances the interoperability of immunization and birth registration services. “Streamlining health services will ensure efficiency in service delivery and sustainability. Working together will make us stronger and help us achieve legal identity for all.”
Mr. Shahvez also outlined key achievements made with the support of UNICEF, alongside the Swedish, French, and Japanese governments.
Regarding decentralization, he noted that birth registration services have been extended to all 15 counties and further into health facilities across Liberia, covering 98% of the health districts.
Touching on integration, the UNICEF Officer-in-Charge Deputy Representative to Liberia indicated that the Birth Registration Information Management System has been integrated into the District Health Information Systems 2 (DHIS2) platform for real-time reporting.
“Birth registration processes have been digitized through the use of tablets and a system that facilitates online registration and the issuance of digital birth certificates as part of the digitalization effort,” he said.
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