Africa-Press – Liberia. Ahmad Shahvez, the Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Representative of UNICEF to Liberia, has urged for increased collaboration to tackle critical challenges affecting birth registration in the country. These challenges include unreliable electricity and internet connectivity, insufficient domestic resources, and limited accountability at decentralized levels.
Speaking on behalf of UNICEF Representative Andy Brooks and OIC Amadou Alassane Cisse during the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day celebration in Buchanan over the weekend, Mr. Shahvez highlighted the pressing need to address these issues. He emphasized that these challenges continue to hinder progress and require 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,” Mr. Shahvez stated.
The event, themed “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitalization for Enhanced Inclusion,” focused on the importance of digital integration. Mr. Shahvez noted that improving digital linkages would ensure accurate and timely data on births, deaths, and marriages, enabling the government to make informed decisions on critical issues such as healthcare, education, and social welfare.
He added that by linking these systems, Liberia can more effectively verify identities and deliver targeted services, reducing waste and duplication.
Mr. Shahvez also emphasized that legal identity is a fundamental right, crucial for accessing education, healthcare, and participating in society, particularly for children. “These are just a few reasons why strengthening the linkages of these systems is crucial,” he asserted.
On behalf of UNICEF, Mr. Shahvez called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure universal coverage for birth registration, stressing the urgency of immediate action. He urged the Liberian government and development partners to collaborate, noting that a newborn child not only needs a full set of vaccinations but also requires registration and a birth certificate—referred to as a “passport to life.”
The UNICEF official highlighted 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, ensuring efficiency and sustainability in service delivery.
Mr. Shahvez also outlined key achievements supported by UNICEF, in collaboration with the governments of Sweden, France, and Japan. He noted that birth registration services have been decentralized, now available in all 15 counties and extended to health facilities across Liberia, covering 98% of health districts.
Additionally, the Birth Registration Information Management System has been integrated into the District Health Information Systems 2 (DHIS2) platform for real-time reporting. “The digitization of birth registration processes, including the use of tablets and an online registration system, facilitates the issuance of digital birth certificates,” he added.
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