Mothers at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital in Western Highlands province have received official birth certificates for their newborn children for the first time, marking a significant milestone in efforts to bring birth registration services closer to families in Papua New Guinea.
The certificates were presented during an event held at the provincial hospital through a partnership between the Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry (PNGCIR), the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority (PHA), and UNICEF.
The initiative marks the first formal distribution of birth certificates through the hospital’s Birth Registration Desk, which was established to help families register their children soon after birth and access official identity documents more easily.
The milestone highlights the commitment of the Government of Papua New Guinea, through PNGCIR and the WHPHA, to expanding access to civil registration services.
The Australian government and UNICEF have supported efforts to strengthen civil registration and vital statistics systems across the country, including by providing technical and operational assistance.
Acting Registrar-General of the PNG Civil and Identity Registry, Mr. Leslie Simon emphasized that the achievement reflected the government’s commitment to ensuring every child has the right to legal identity from birth.
“Today’s landmark moment reflects the Government’s continued commitment to ensuring every child is assured of their right to legal identity from birth,” Mr. Simon said.
He added that birth registration enables children to access essential services and contributes to stronger national planning and development.
“Birth registration helps children access the services they need to grow, learn and reach their potential.”
“As Papua New Guinea advances towards Vision 2050, ensuring every child is registered and recognized is an investment in human capital, stronger national planning and a more inclusive and prosperous future.”
Birth registration is recognized as a fundamental right of every child, providing legal recognition of identity and helping children access healthcare, education, protection, and other essential services.
However, only 13 per cent of children in Papua New Guinea are currently registered at birth, leaving many without official proof of identity.
The lack of a birth certificate can create barriers for children and families, making it difficult to confirm age, parentage and identity, and increasing vulnerability to exclusion and protection risks.
Since the Birth Registration Desk began operating at Mount Hagen Provincial Hospital in November 2025, 464 births have been registered.
Of these, 228 newborns have received birth certificates, while the remaining certificates are being processed and will be distributed soon.
The integration of birth registration into health services, including antenatal and maternity care, is helping families complete registration earlier and reducing barriers to accessing official documents.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Country Representative in Papua New Guinea Dr. Veera Mendonca said the initiative demonstrated the importance of bringing services directly to families.
“This successful initiative shows that more children can receive birth certificates when registration services are brought closer to families,” Dr. Mendonca said.
She said mothers understood the importance of birth certificates in securing their children’s legal identity and improving access to essential services throughout their lives.
“Integrating birth registration into health facilities makes the process easier and encourages mothers to give birth where skilled care is available.”
“By expanding this approach across Papua New Guinea, every child can be registered from the beginning and have the protection, identity and opportunities they deserve.”
With support from the Australian Government, UNICEF has worked with PNGCIR to strengthen birth registration systems at both policy and service delivery levels.
Support has included assistance for implementing the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Action Plan, providing 44 mobile registration kits, establishing birth registration offices within Provincial Health Authorities, training health and civil registration staff, and developing awareness materials.
The Mount Hagen milestone demonstrates the potential of integrating birth registration into healthcare services to close registration gaps and ensure more children receive legal identity from birth.
Government leadership, stronger coordination, increased domestic investment, and continued expansion of birth registration services through hospitals and community outreach programs, will be essential to achieving universal birth registration for all children in Papua New Guinea.
