Birth certificates issued by hospitals not valid- NPC

By Our Correspondent

National Population Commission (NPC) has said that only birth certificates issued by the commission is valid for official purposes; as such, all birth notices issued either by hospitals or local government councils remain invalid and untenable for official purposes.

The Commission made this statement during a meeting of Ebonyi State health facility workers on birth registration service delivery.

Speaking during the meeting, The Ebonyi State Director of NPC, Edward Ogbu enjoined government and health workers to be at the frontline of mobilizing parents to register their children with the commission.

The training was held with the support and collaborative efforts of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). It took place at Citi Hub Events Centre in Abakaliki, capital of the state with health workers from all the local governments and health facilities in the state in attendance.

In his address, the UNICEF Chief of Field office Enugu, Ibrahim Conteh expressed concern that available statistics show that child registration with the commission is still very low

“26 percent are registered with private clinic/hospitals, nine percent are registered with Local Government Administration while three percent are registered with other authorities,” 

He urged all stakeholders to pitch their concerted efforts to kill the current trend as it spells invisibility and vulnerability for all unregistered persons.

“Their official ‘invisibility’ increases their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation and violations of their rights go unnoticed. In legal terms they do not exist”