Myanmar to launch birth registration pilot project

Yangon, July 29 (IANS) The Myanmar government has decided to launch a birth registration week in three states as a pilot project before a nationwide coverage to ensure all births are registerd.

With technical and financial support from the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) and the European Union (EU), the pilot project for birth registration will be implemented in 44 townships, Xinhua reported.

Unicef Myanmar deputy representative Shalini Bahuguna said that around 1.6 million children in Myanmar are not officially registered, and that there is the need to address the challenges of registering every child in the country.

Bahuguna said that the planned birth registration week could cover at least 400,000 children.

Parents have been warned that children without birth certificates are at greater risk of being trafficked for forced labour or sexual slavery.