By Yunus S Saliu
UNICEF The Gambia Wednesday handed over some digitalization and IT equipments in support of births and deaths registration in The Gambia to the Ministry of Health for the enhancement of transformation of birth registration unit from ledger or manual registration registering births and deaths to electronic.
The digitalization and IT equipments handed over by UNICEF to the Ministry of Health included 9 desktop computers and accessories; 1 giant server; 3 laptop computers; 3 tablet computers; 3 supper giant photocopier; 9 giant printers; 3 laminating machines; and 10 giant embossing machines.
Receiving the materials on behalf of Minister of Health was Lamin Jaiteh Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Health.
PS Jaiteh disclosed that the materials were procured by UNICEF to support the digitization of birth registration system in The Gambia.
He said the materials will enhance the transformation from ledger or manual registration of births and deaths to electronic, as the government is on the process of digital registration of the documents.
Applauding UNICEF for the supports, he said this recent is among other supports that Ministry of Health has been receiving from UNICEF to strengthening births registration system in the country.
Hence the government cannot do it alone he said the Ministry needs stakeholders and partners like UNICEF to provide adequate and technical resources for the provision right base documents to all Gambians, residents in the country especially children and other vulnerable groups like children on move and refugees.
Noting that, “the state does not want anyone born in country to be stateless, everyone child deserves name, identity and nationality,” while thanked UNICEF for the support towards digitization of birth registrations and strengthening the system in the country.
Samba N Baldeh UNV Child Protection Specialist UNICEF said birth registration provides the first legal recognition of the child and is the first right in the Convention for the Rights of Children (UNCRC), which enables a child to receive medical treatment, go to school, inherit property, and find legal work.
Also, he added, facilitates protection from child labor, attestation and treatment as adults in the justice system, forcible conscription in armed forces, child marriage, trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“It is also enshrined in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child (ACRWC) and the constitution of The Gambia,” he said and further disclosed that the 2007 constitution of The Gambia, the births, deaths and marriage act recently revised, and 2005 Children’s Act legally mandates that every child’s birth should be registered and issued with a birth certificate within a recognized government institution mainly the Ministry of Health.”
He went on that the Multiple Indicator cluster Survey (MICS) noted in 2018 that only 57.9% of children under 5 years old in the communities had their birth certificates while noticed that almost 20% of children who have been registered did not have access to their birth certificates.
Lamin Fatty Registrar of birth and death registration gave the importance of digitization of births and deaths registration in this modern age. While Momodou Njai, director of Health Promotion thank the UNICEF for the usual supports.
The handing over of the digitization and IT equipments took place at the Central Medical Store, Kotu.
