Universal birth-death registration key to accelerating SDGs: Experts

Ensuring universal birth and death registration remains crucial for protecting citizens’ rights and accelerating Bangladesh’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), experts said at a webinar on Saturday, highlighting legal and implementation gaps that continue to hinder the country’s registration system.

They made the observations at a webinar titled “Strong Registration System for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Perspective”, organised by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Speakers said SDG Target 16.9 prioritises legal identity for all citizens, including birth registration, while registration systems also play a crucial role in delivering social safety net benefits under SDG Target 1.3.

They noted that birth and death records remain essential for tracking maternal and child mortality rates, combating non-communicable diseases and strengthening disease surveillance and emergency healthcare services.

Experts also highlighted the importance of birth certificates in ensuring school enrolment and preventing child marriage and child labour by verifying children’s ages, contributing to SDGs related to education and gender equality.

Despite its importance, Bangladesh’s current birth registration rate stands at only 50%, while death registration remains at 47% — figures significantly lower than global and regional averages, speakers said.

Although nearly 67% of children are born in healthcare facilities, families still carry the primary responsibility for registration. Speakers argued that the lack of mandatory registration systems linked to health facilities leaves many people outside official records and limits effective public planning.

Md Nazrul Islam, Country Coordinator of Vital Strategies, said Bangladesh needs stronger coordination among relevant ministries and the Local Government Division alongside legal reforms to strengthen implementation.

Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh country lead of GHAI, called for amendments to the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004 to shift legal responsibility for registration from individuals to healthcare institutions.

“Universal registration can contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

Partha Shankar Saha, assistant news editor at Prothom Alo, said keeping nearly half the population outside the registration system creates a major challenge for achieving the SDGs.

“The media must play a stronger role in highlighting legal gaps and raising awareness among policymakers,” he said.

Journalists from print, television and online media, civil society representatives and subject experts also joined the webinar.

ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA, chaired the event, while Coordinator Mashiat Abedin moderated the discussion and presented the keynote paper.