‘Birth registration system to be strengthened’

Islamabad :Telenor Pakistan and Plan International Pakistan signed a partnership on the project ‘Strengthening Civil Registration of Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Pakistan through appropriate use of Digital Technologies’ to digitally enhance the system of registering and certifying vital events such as births and deaths to better leverage healthcare, education, social welfare, intervention, and other programs for larger demographics, says a press release.

More than 70 per cent children under the age of five in Pakistan are unregistered. This makes them vulnerable and unprotected as the birth certificate not only provides legal identity to children but also ensures access to basic rights and services including education and healthcare, share in inheritance and protection from child-labor, child-marriage and trial as adult in criminal justice system.

The project is being implemented in more than 60 Union Councils of districts Sujawal and Tando Muhammad Khan in Sindh and district Chiniot in Punjab. This system is based on innovative use of technology through digital platforms for data reporting and analysis, performance management, transparent and efficient disbursements and use of private sector channels to enable access to public service and basic civic rights. This new initiative is engaging the Local Government departments along with other important stakeholders including Health and Education Departments and Telenor franchises to increase the access to birth registration services at every possible touch point in the community. It is expected to increase birth registration rates by the end of year 2018 in the target districts.

“The partnership is an extension of our efforts to give every child the right to identity and thus access to better healthcare, education, and other basic amenities,” said Irfan Wahab Khan, CEO, Telenor Pakistan. “I believe the project will prove instrumental in helping the government base its future socio - economic welfare projects on accurate population dynamics for a greater impact. This partnership with Plan International will further strengthen our mutual strife for building a better tomorrow for Pakistan’s future generations.”

“We are pleased to have partnered with a forward-looking organization like Telenor Pakistan that has the same inclusion mission and goals for the Pakistani people as Plan International,” said Imran Yusuf Shami, country director, Plan International Pakistan. “We’re pleased to be part of a partnership that aims to revolutionize the birth registration system in Pakistan and hope the day is not far when every Pakistani will have access to education, basic healthcare and nutrition, livelihood, clean water, sanitation, and protection. This partnership supports and furthers our goals of better a documented population where not only people’s existence is recognized, but opportunities are distributed equally at all levels.”