IT-based birth registration cell

LAHORE: Local Government and Community Development Department (LG&CDD), Punjab in collaboration with UNICEF and a private telecommunication company, launched a Digital Birth Registration (DBR) Cell situated at the Local Government Complex, Lahore here Thursday.

The event celebrated a dynamic partnership established for the purpose of achieving universal birth registration for children in Punjab, whereby Special Secretary Local Government and Community Development Shahid Nasir Raja and Ms Angela Kearney, UNICEF country representative for Pakistan, formally launched the highly-equipped DBR Cell hosting live data flows of birth registration applications for children in Pakpattan and Bahawalpur districts.

Under the project, enhanced access for children to the birth registration service in target districts will be facilitated, primarily through leveraging the use of digital mobile phone technology. Initially, the intervention will be implemented in Pakpattan and Bahawalpur districts in 2017 and in 2018 will be replicated in eight additional districts identified by the Punjab government as demonstrating the lowest birth registration rates for children in the province.

In their messages from China, Mansha Ullah Butt, Minister for LG&CD and Muhammad Aslam, Secretary LG&CD Department thanked the UNICEF for launch of this IT-based birth registration system and hoped that with the assistance of UNICEF, the LG&CD will be able to introduce the technology in whole of Punjab. The department will also be able to make visible increase in birth registration ratio in the Punjab and meet SDG goals by the year 2030.

Speaking on this occasion, Angela Kearney said birth registration is a fundamental right, and a birth registration certificate is regarded by UNICEF as a passport to protection for all children across the globe. We congratulate the Punjab government for prioritising the registration of children’s births across the province as a development priority, particularly for those left behind and excluded, he added. Special Secretary LG&CD Shahid Nasir Raja thanked UNICEF for its technical support to the department. He said the Punjab government is committed to support the achievement of universal birth registration for children aged 17 years and under in target districts of the province before the end of 2024.