In Ghana, 61% of children have birth certificates
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on The Ghana Report
Illustrative image · Boko Shots · Pexels · Licence PexelsOnly 61% of children in Ghana have birth certificates, according to UNICEF, leaving nearly four in 10 without formal legal identity. The organisation says this gap complicates access to essential services and public policy planning, particularly in poorly served rural communities.
In Ghana, only 61% of children have birth certificates, leaving nearly four in 10 without formal legal identity. Andy Brooks, UNICEF Representative to Ghana, gave the figure at the eighth international research conference of the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana, according to The Ghana Report.
Andy Brooks said the lack of registration could lead to some children being overlooked in the allocation of resources and the design of development programmes. During a recent visit to Boapasi, in Ghana's Eastern Region, he met hundreds of children but only a handful had birth certificates, according to The Ghana Report.
The UNICEF representative attributed part of the low registration rate to telecommunications difficulties and limited access to digital registration services, particularly in remote communities. He called for targeted measures to improve coverage and stressed that reliable data makes it possible to better plan health, education and social protection services for children.
The issue of birth registration comes as six officials were arrested in Ghana on 29 October over extortion during registrations, according to a case reported in the arrests during registrations in Ghana.
