Bringing the civil registry services closer to the community

In Katana, South Kivu province, Aline proudly holds up the birth certificate of her daughter born just a few days earlier. Thanks to a proxy system available at the maternity hospital where she gave birth, Aline did not have to travel to register her daughter’s birth. “This is a memorable moment for my daughter Elysée,” explains Aline.

Elysée’s birth was declared through the proxy system by Solange, a registered nurse at the Kabushwa Health Centre. Once the declaration had been completed with Aline, a clerk from the civil registry collected it in order to complete the birth certificate, which he later dropped off at the maternity hospital.

“Many families appreciate being able to use this process because it means their child is recognized without delay,” Solange explains as she fills out documents for a baby born a few hours earlier. Registering a child’s birth ensures they have a legal identity, protection and access to essential services like education and health care.

It takes just a few days for the civil registry to draw up the birth certificate and return it to Solange, who is responsible for notifying the parents. “I call each parent to notify them that their child's certificate is available and that they can pick it up,” says Solange. If she is unable to reach the parents, they can collect the birth certificate at their next vaccination appointment.

To promote collaboration between civil registry officials and the health sector, UNICEF has introduced performance-based funding. This encourages all providers involved in registering births to work together to provide families with high-quality services.

With the support of Sweden, UNICEF is strengthening the civil registry services, and in so doing improving the number of newborns registered within the statutory 90-day limit for free registration. Last year, nearly 82,000 children were registered with the civil registry in the province of South Kivu.