PHA-Exchange> Too Many Babies Don't get Counted

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

 from Vern Weitzel <vern.weitzel at undp.org> -----
   
Nurses and Midwives join forces to "Make Every Mother and Child Count"

GENEVA, 7 April 2005 .....   Every year 48 million babies join those who
will spend their lives without an official identity or citizenship, as
their births go unregistered in countries worldwide.  A child who is not
registered is at the risk of being denied basic rights to education and
health, may never be immunized, obtain the legal right to work or hold a
passport. On the occasion of World Health Day, the International Council
of
Nurses (ICN), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and Plan,
the international child's rights organisation, are taking joint action on
the issue of birth registration, raising awareness among their members and
calling for governments to encourage and improve the birth registration
process everywhere.

"Children who are not registered are extremely vulnerable to exploitation
of every kind.  They are marginalized from birth, as there is no official
recognition of their existence," explains Christine Hancock, President of
the International Council of Nurses.  "Most unregistered births are in
South Asia (63% of all births) and sub-Saharan Africa (55% of all births),
but the problem exists in every country.  In industrialized countries 2%
of infants are not registered. Awareness of the importance of birth
registration and policy to make it happen must be a priority."

Information
about birth registration can be a vital component of the continuum of care
provided by these health professionals around the time of birth. 

"Children who are not registered may be denied vaccinations and other
types
of assistance, but the necessary prerequisite for this means of reducing
child mortality has been left off the international community's agenda. It
is the missing link in Millennium Development Goals.

The importance of birth registration also goes beyond the individual
child.
Birth registration data, when correctly collected, can play an important
role in the planning of a country's economic and social development.  It
improves a state's ability to plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and
report
on the impact of its social and economic policies.  Achieving universal
birth registration is possible.  Children represent the future and society
must work together to give them the healthiest start in life.

____________________________
Editor's Note

Extent of the Problem: Proportion of annual unregistered births, by region

Regional Summaries	       Births 2003(in thousands)	
                                         % of unregistered children
                                                 Number of unregistered
                                                 children (in thousands)
South-Saharan Africa	       26,879	55	14,751
Middle East and North Africa	9,790	16	 1,543
South Asia	               37,099	63	23,395
East Asia and Pacific          31,616	19	 5,901
Latin America and Caribbean    11,567	15	 1,787
CEE/CIS and Baltic States	5,250	23	 1,218

Industrialized countries       10,827	 2	   218
Developing countries	      119,973	40	48,147
Least developed countries      27,819	71	19,682
World	                      133,028	36	48,276





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