Development experts are calling for political support to accelerate investment in effective civil registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems that will give legal identity to all members of the population.

During a webinar on “Africa’s Progress Towards SDG Target 16.9: Legal Identity for All Including Birth Registration by 2030”, hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), experts revealed that despite progress in the development of CRVS systems in most African countries, the continent still faces challenges in reporting births and deaths.

Mr.Oliver Chinganya, the Director of the African Centre for Statistics (ACS), expressed concern that Africa is still lagging in providing up-to-date, accurate, and timely statistics on births and deaths on the continent. He highlighted the importance of statistics in formulating sound economic development policies and said that although Africa has made progress in the development and awareness of CRVS systems over the past ten years, challenges remain that need urgent action.