By Dadson A. Musa

The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) today welcomed its CRVS and ID management Partners WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA to launch an ambitious mass birth registration campaign targeting children under one year across Sierra Leone. Director-General Mr. Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi expressed profound gratitude for the partners’ steadfast support, aiming to register an estimated 300,000 children, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas.

The meeting highlighted the urgent need to bolster the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, where inadequate infrastructure, limited equipment, staff shortages, and low awareness hinder registration. The campaign will focus on 12 districts, issuing birth certificates and generating vital statistics to enhance national planning, ensuring children’s rights to identity, education, healthcare, and services.

NCRA and its partners are tackling these challenges through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Ministry of Health for facility-based registration, the Inter Religious Council for public education via pulpits, Traditional Authorities for birth and death oversight, and the introduction of electronic, securitized services a leap toward modernization.

UNICEF committed $150,000, while UNFPA and WHO pledged support to be finalized, targeting at least 150,000 children, with further funding sought for the remaining 150,000. NCRA vows to launch this historic campaign, safeguarding legal identities and fostering an inclusive future, aligning with President Bio’s focus on women and children’s rights.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Wednesday, 20th June, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)