IPNEWS: The Ministry of Health, through the Bureau of Vital Statistics, celebrated African Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day under the theme “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitization for Enhanced Inclusion.”
The celebration highlights the Ministry of Health’s dedication to raising awareness about the importance of civil registration systems in ensuring that every individual is recognized and accounted for from birth. By issuing birth and death certificates, the ministry emphasizes the significance of accurate and accessible civil registration, which is essential for legal identity, social services, and vital statistics that contribute to national development.
The Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Coordinator, Mr. Augustine L. Samah, on behalf of His Excellency President Joseph Nyumah Boakai Sr., read the proclamation declaring Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day a working holiday throughout the Republic of Liberia. The declaration reflects the government’s unwavering support in promoting effective governance, societal development, protecting individuals’ rights, ensuring efficient service delivery, reducing fraud, and facilitating cross-border recognition.
Highlighting the importance of the celebration, special remarks were delivered by Dr. Anthony L. Fortune, Assistant Minister for Vital Statistics, who stressed that the significance of the initiative aligns with the broader goals of CRVS Day, which advocates for a robust and inclusive systems that ensure no one is left behind, particularly in terms of legal identity and access to essential services.
“Thousands of Liberians live without the rights, protections, and benefits afforded by having a legal identity and die without having any proof of existence,” Dr. Fortune added.
He urged citizens to come forward, take advantage of the birth registration services, and acquire certificates as proof of their existence, emphasizing the transformative impact this can have on the fulfillment of their rights and legal protections.
Dr. Fortune also underscored the critical role of the Bureau of Vital Statistics in addressing challenges related to substantial public resources, highlighting its role in transforming CRVS systems to make them more technically and financially accessible to the population, and in doing so, minimizing the perceived humiliation of invisibility.
While giving his remarks, UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Mr. Ahmad Shahvez recognized the support from the Swedish Government, French Government, and the Government of Japan, which has enabled continuous progress in birth registration.
“Since 2007, under-five registration has seen steady progress, increasing from 4% in 2007 to 25% in 2013, and then to 66% in 2020. To date, UNICEF and partners have supported the Ministry of Health through key strategies to accelerate birth registration via decentralization, digitalization, and interoperability efforts,” Mr. Shahvez concluded.
Liberia’s CRVS Day was graced by UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Mr. Ahmad Shahvez, representatives from the World Bank, Ministry of Justice, National Identification Registry Executive Director, and the Grand Bassa County Children’s Parliament Speaker.
The event was climaxed by drama and dance performances from children representing different local communities within the county.
