Jovago.com, Africa’s leading hotel-booking website, has visited Lubaga Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, to see Government of Uganda’s improved birth registration program in hospitals, which is supported by UNICEF.
“Jovago is very proud to partner with UNICEF’s efforts to support governments in Africa to register each and every child at birth.” said Estelle Verdier-Watine, Jovago’s East Africa Managing Director. “We look forward to the day when all children across Africa, including Uganda will be fully registered and have their birth certificates at birth, thereby giving them a passport to protection for the rest of their lives.”
Jovago.com donates $5 from all bookings made on its platform worth more than $50 to UNICEF’s birth registration efforts in Africa, and would like to extend this contribution to Uganda.
“With new partners like Jovago.com, UNICEF will be able to step up its support to government, to make birth registration services more available and accessible in most parts of Uganda.” said UNICEF’s Chief of Child Protection in Uganda, Silvia Pasti.
“We are excited about the prospects of working with Jovago.com here in Uganda, just as UNICEF has worked with them in other parts of Africa, to ensure all children realize their fundamental right to identity.”
Birth registration provides the protection of every child’s right to identity and existence, as is essential in determining nationality, age and parentage of each child. It facilitates children to access government services like health and education, as well as help to protect children from exploitative labour, being arrested and treated as adults in the justice system, being forced into the military, and early marriage, trafficking and sexual exploitation.
For children separated from their parents in situations of armed conflict or natural disasters, a birth certificate can help in tracing, promoting safe migration and reunifying them with their parents or families.
Overall, birth registration provides children with more opportunities to realize their full potential and have a brighter future.
With Uganda’s national birth registration rate estimated to be at 60% today, doubling from the rate of 30% in 2011 and nearly tripling from the rate of 21% in 2006, Uganda has made excellent progress in its national birth registration program over the last several years, and use of technology has been a critical factor in this.
