More and More Children Are Born without Any Official Birth Record

One in every three children born don't have official birth records, Bernama reports.

Nearly 230 million children under five years of age have not had their births officially recorded, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The UN agency said in its statistical analysis spanning 161 countries that this figure is estimated at one in every three children born. In 2012, approximately 60 percent of all babies born were registered at birth. The figures rose significantly across regions with the lowest levels of birth registration which includes South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Ten other countries with the lowest number of birth registration have been named and this includes Somalia with three percent, Liberia with four percent, Ethiopia with seven percent, Zambia with 14 percent, Chad with 16 percent, United Republic of Tanzania with 16 percent, Yemen with 17 percent, Guinea-Bissau with 24 percent, Pakistan with 27 percent and the Democratic Republic of Congo with 28 percent. Children who are unregistered are oftentimes excluded from accessing education, health care and social security. Without official documentation, it becomes more difficult for children to be reunited with their parents in case there are some calamities that take place.

"Birth registration is more than just a right. It's how societies first recognize and acknowledge a child's identity and existence," said Geeta Rao Gupta, UNICEF's deputy executive director. "Birth registration is also key to guaranteeing that children are not forgotten, denied their rights or hidden from a progress of their nations," she added. So "we recommend a registration system that is free, universal in coverage and confidential.