Windhoek — Top government officials were in the Oshana region this week to officially launch a number of birth registration points at various hospitals in the four northern regions.

Home Affairs and Immigration Minister, Hon. Rosalia Nghidinwa was accompanied by Health and Social Services Minister, Dr Richard Kamwi; Oshana Region Governor, Hon. Clemens Kashuupulwa and UNICEF country representative, Ian MacLeod.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration, this latest launch is an expansion of the birth registration points project by government and UNICEF in the four northern regions. It is also part of government's larger plan to increase birth registrations in all major hospitals around the country.

According to UNICEF, birth registration is a universal human right as per the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Article 7.However, the effects of HIV and AIDS, increasing food insecurity and poverty are compromising the rights of children to benefit from social safety nets systems because of lack of documents.

In Namibia, birth registration is necessary for children to access critical services, such as health, education and social services. Reports estimate that there are approximately 250 000 orphans and vulnerable children in the country. Only 38% of these children have access to child welfare grants. According the ministry, this is because many of them do not have registration documents like birth and death certificates.

"Most children are not registered because parents, especially mothers, cannot afford the high travel costs and the vast distances they have to travel in order to reach registration points," the ministry said.

The ministry further states that, importance is also the limited awareness among mothers on the primary importance of birth registration and the future benefits thereof.