UNICEF reports low birth registration rates for children in Ghana

UNICEF has reported that only 61 percent of children in Ghana possess birth certificates, meaning nearly four in ten children lack a formal legal identity. This deficiency poses a risk of excluding children from essential services and national development planning.

Speaking at the Eighth International Research Conference of the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana, UNICEF Representative Andy Brooks noted that unregistered children are often missing from official data. This lack of data prevents the government and development partners from accurately designing and allocating resources for healthcare, education, and social protection services.

Brooks highlighted a recent visit to Boapasi in the Eastern Region as an example of the issue, where only a small number of children in a large group had certificates. He attributed the low registration rates to limited access to digital services and poor telecommunications connectivity in remote communities. He called for targeted actions and evidence-based policymaking to ensure vulnerable populations are identified and supported.