Documenting Untold Realities: Guaranteeing Every Birth is Registered, Every Life is Accounted For
The Asia-Pacific region has made a significant stride in its development journey, as the Asia-Pacific Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Decade has been officially extended to 2030. This decision was announced at the Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, Thailand from June 24 to 26, 2025.
The extended CRVS Decade aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, reaffirming the regional commitment to ensuring universal and inclusive civil registration. This means that the goal is to record all births and deaths by 2030, a critical step towards legal identity for all.
Reliable civil registration and vital statistics systems are crucial for monitoring and achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They support targets such as universal birth registration (SDG 16.9), improved health data (for SDG 3), and the reduction of inequalities (SDG 10). The extension of the CRVS Decade bolsters the regional momentum towards inclusive development by ensuring every person is counted and recognised legally, facilitating better policy planning and resource allocation.
Every year, 6.9 million deaths go unregistered in Asia and the Pacific. Transforming CRVS systems requires partnership, persistence, and innovation. The Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade extension is proposed to ensure continued efforts to improve legal identity and vital statistics systems, with the ultimate goal of ensuring everyone is included and no one is left behind in vital statistics systems.
A birth certificate is essential for a child to access education, healthcare, and social protection. Legal identity is considered a right, not a privilege. Lack of a birth certificate can lead to exclusion from nationality and age verification. Fewer than one in three registered deaths in the region are medically certified. Unregistered deaths in the region prevent families from accessing inheritance, land rights, and pensions.
As of 2024, there are still 51 million unregistered children in Asia and the Pacific, which is considered far too many. Since 2012, the number of unregistered children under five in Asia and the Pacific has fallen by 62 percent, from 135 million to 51 million in 2024. Extending the CRVS Decade to 2030 will provide countries the time and support needed to finish what they started and fully close the data gap.
The United Nations and partners are committed to working with governments across the region to build stronger, more inclusive, and people-centered CRVS systems. Timely, disaggregated statistics on causes of death are crucial for designing and monitoring effective health policies. The upcoming Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific is an opportunity for governments to recommit to the CRVS agenda.
Extending the CRVS Decade to 2030 is a declaration that everyone's life matters and data saves lives. The Asia-Pacific CRVS Decade, launched ten years ago, aimed to equip governments with accurate, timely information to deliver essential services, shape policies, and uphold the rights of every person. This renewed commitment to the CRVS Decade reaffirms the region's dedication to leaving no one behind in development processes.
- The extended CRVS Decade supports the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, highlighting the commitment to universal and inclusive civil registration.
- The goal is to record all births and deaths by 2030, a significant step towards legal identity for all.
- Reliable civil registration and vital statistics systems are vital for monitoring and achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The extended CRVS Decade aimed to improve legal identity and vital statistics systems, with the ultimate goal of ensuring everyone is included.
- A birth certificate is essential for a child's access to education, healthcare, and social protection.
- Legal identity is considered a right, not a privilege, and its absence can lead to exclusion.
- Fewer than one in three registered deaths in the region are medically certified.
- Unregistered deaths in the region prevent families from accessing inheritance, land rights, and pensions.
- As of 2024, there are still 51 million unregistered children in Asia and the Pacific.
- The extended CRVS Decade provides countries the time and support needed to finish what they started and fully close the data gap.
- The United Nations and partners are working with governments across the region to build stronger, more inclusive, and people-centered CRVS systems.
- Timely, disaggregated statistics on causes of death are crucial for designing and monitoring effective health policies.
- The Third Ministerial Conference on CRVS in Asia and the Pacific is an opportunity for governments to recommit to the CRVS agenda.
- Extending the CRVS Decade to 2030 is a declaration that everyone's life matters and data saves lives.
- The renewed commitment to the CRVS Decade reaffirms the region's dedication to leaving no one behind in development processes.
- Science plays a crucial role in improving CRVS systems, with innovation being a key requirement for transformation.
- In the realm of workplace-wellness, addressing medical conditions like chronic diseases, cancer, respiratory conditions, digestive health issues, eye health, hearing problems, and neurological disorders is essential.
- Mental health is an equally important aspect of health and wellness, and it is crucial to provide therapies and treatments for mental health issues.
- Fitness and exercise, sexual health, and skin care are critical components of overall health and wellness.
- Aging also brings unique health challenges, such as cardiovascular health issues, which require attention.
- Women's health, including issues related to pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause, is crucial to ensure the well-being of women.
- Men's health, particularly prostate health and testicular cancer awareness, is often overlooked and needs more attention.
- In the context of environmental science, climate change and its impact on health, such as respiratory conditions and allergies, is a significant concern.
- The manufacturing industry, in its pursuit of workplace-wellness and safety, should address safety standards and environmental concerns.
- In the finance sector, wealth management, investments, and personal finance literacy are key to financial health and wellness.
- The retail industry, in promoting health and wellness, can focus on offering products that cater to various health concerns, such as nutritional supplements, skin care products, and fitness equipment.
- Entrepreneurship, under the umbrella of diversity and inclusion, can foster innovative solutions for various health and wellness challenges, from health tech to wellness startups.
