The Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, yesterday launched a new and unique identification for new borns in the country.
Dubbed the Ghana Card Number at Birth, the new number will provide unique identification to all babies born in the country in addition to the issuance of birth certificates.
As part of the process, babies delivered in health facilities will have their biometric details in the District Health Information System (DHIS) known as the e-tracker at the community health posts or health centres.
Launching the initiative at the Ga North Municipal Hospital in Accra yesterday Dr Bawumia said that integration of the system would ensure that every child born in Ghana was immediately provided with a unique identity, linking them to their mother’s identity and securing their place within the national life.
In addition, he said it would ensure the rights protection of the children, effective planning of essential services like health, education and social welfare.
Dr Bawumia said he was of the conviction that many of the country’s hurdles could be overcome through digitalisation and processes that had been embarked on.
“The Ghana Card number at birth signifies a significant step in our quest to leverage technology for national progress, with a population exceeding 30 million and an annual birth rate of approximately 30 per 1,000 people , Ghana’s demographic landscape underscores the urgent need for a streamlined process for birth registration and identification issuance.
This sizable population reflects both the vitality and challenges of our society, necessitating innovative solutions to ensure the welfare of citizens, particularly mothers and children,” he emphasised.
He added that “I am particularly pleased that the Ghana Card number at birth allows registration at the health facilities across the country, ensuring that no mother is excluded, regardless of her location of socio-economic status.
This is especially crucial in rural areas where access to government services can be limited, and technology services as a vital bridge.
“The Ghana Card at Birth is not just an ID, it is a promise to our children of a future where their identity and rights are recognised from their very breath.
He said the initiative was a testament to the government’s commitment to building an effective, efficient, responsive, and accountable citizenry.
Dr Bawumia noted that an effective and efficient implementation of the system would offer numerous benefits to mothers and children.
“Firstly, it provides a systematic and efficient method of registering births, ensuring that every child becomes part of the system from birth.
That would address a long standing issue in Ghana where many births remained unregistered due to factors such as remote locations and insufficient awareness about the importance of birth registration.
Secondly, the system facilitates access to healthcare and social welfare programmes and entitlement of both mother and children.
Additionally, the solution would lead to the digitalisation of birth registration and identification processes, enhancing the security and integrity of personal data while reducing the risk of Identity fraud.
It would also help in the fight against child trafficking as rescued children could be reunited with their families.
Dr Bawumia commended all the partners including the Births and Deaths Registry, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and the National Identification Authority for making this possible.
On his part, the Director General of the GHS, Dr Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, said the initiative was in tandem with the service’s agenda of registering 80 per cent births within 30 days.
He said the GHS had deployed e-tracking in 338 health facilities across the country to help in capturing the data of new borns for better management and improved healthcare service.
The Executive Secretary of the NIA, said the initiative would resolve the contestation of age and citizenship issues in the country.
He disclosed that the authority would this year begin registering children from six to 15 years in schools as well as Ghanaians in the diaspora.
Currently, 17.8 million Ghanaians have so far been registered onto the National Identification Register, Prof. Attafuah stated.
Those institutions have integrated their systems to facilitate the registration of new borns from zero to six years.
The Ghana Card at birth system begins from the antenatal period, where the mother’s record is associated with Ghana card.
BY CLIFF EKUFFUL
