ISLAMABAD, November 5, 2026: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has recorded 265,820 birth notifications through a digital reporting tool introduced at 4,959 health facilities across Pakistan, marking progress in efforts to strengthen birth registration and improve access to legal identity documentation for children.
According to a document available with Wealth Pakistan, the initiative aims to improve the reporting of births at healthcare facilities while strengthening coordination between the health sector, local government authorities and NADRA.
The system is designed to facilitate the timely notification of births and improve the exchange of information between healthcare providers and civil registration authorities.
By linking health facilities with civil registration mechanisms, the initiative seeks to make it easier for families to complete the registration process and obtain official birth records for their children.
The document indicates that 265,820 birth notifications had been recorded through the system by the reporting period. However, birth notifications represent the initial reporting stage and do not necessarily mean that every notified birth has completed the formal registration process.
The programme forms part of broader institutional efforts to improve birth registration coverage and ensure that children have access to documentation establishing their legal identity.
Alongside the technological initiative, progress has also been reported in policy coordination and measures intended to reduce financial barriers to birth registration.
Following advocacy by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) steering committees have been established in all four provinces and Islamabad Capital Territory.
The document further states that Punjab has introduced birth registration fee waivers for children up to seven years of age, while Sindh has secured similar exemptions for children up to five years of age.
These measures are intended to encourage families to register births and reduce the financial burden associated with obtaining official records.
Despite these developments, provincial survey figures indicate substantial differences in birth registration coverage across Pakistan.
According to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data, the birth registration rate among children under five stands at 79.9 percent in Punjab, 44.1 percent in Balochistan, 34 percent in Sindh and 29.5 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The figures come from surveys conducted in different years, ranging from 2018–19 in Sindh to 2024 in Punjab, and therefore should not be interpreted as a direct comparison of registration rates during a single period.
Birth registration provides official recognition of a child’s identity and helps establish age and family relationships, which are important for accessing education, healthcare and other essential services.
Reliable birth registration data also supports government planning by providing information needed to assess population trends and allocate public resources.
The document emphasises the need for continued cooperation among NADRA, federal and provincial authorities, healthcare institutions and local governments to expand birth registration coverage and improve the transition from birth notification to formal registration.