(Monrovia, Liberia, September 16, 2026)–The Ministry of Health (MOH) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening civil registration and vital statistics systems across the country, stressing that legal identity and accurate population data are essential to effective health planning, service delivery and the protection of citizens’ rights.

The Ministry made the commitment as Liberia joined countries across Africa in commemorating African Identity Day, observed annually on September 16, 2026.

Representing the Ministry of Health at the national observance, Dr. Anthony Fortune, Assistant Minister for Vital Statistics, said identity is more than a legal document or identification number, which remains a critical foundation for ensuring that people are visible to the state and able to access essential services, including healthcare.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Fortune said every person should be recognized, protected and included through reliable legal identity systems.

“This day is not simply a date on the calendar; it is a continental call to action, a reminder of our shared responsibility to ensure that every individual in Africa is recognized, protected, and included through the provision of legal identity,” Fortune said.

From the Ministry of Health’s perspective, Fortune said legal identity and civil registration play an important role in ensuring that people are properly accounted for within national systems and that government can better understand the populations it serves.

He noted that without legal identity, millions of people across Africa can remain effectively invisible to government systems and may face difficulties accessing essential services and opportunities.

These include healthcare, education, employment, financial services and participation in democratic processes.

For the health sector, accurate information on births, deaths and other vital events provides an important foundation for understanding population trends, planning health interventions and allocating resources.

“Identity is the cornerstone of human dignity and social inclusion,” Fortune said. “Without it, millions remain invisible to their governments and excluded from opportunities that most of us take for granted; education, healthcare, employment, financial services, and participation in democratic processes.”

Dr. Fortune placed particular emphasis on birth registration, describing it as the foundation upon which a child’s legal identity is established.

“The birth registration is the foundational document, the very first record a child should receive at birth affirming their existence and securing their rights,” he said.

He added that registering a child at birth represents more than an administrative procedure, saying it provides formal recognition that the child exists and deserves protection and access to services.

“When a child’s birth is registered, it is not merely an administrative act; it is a profound affirmation that this child matters, that their rights will be protected, and that their future will be secured,” Fortune said.

For the Ministry of Health, strengthening vital statistics is particularly relevant to efforts to improve maternal, newborn and child health, as reliable information helps government and partners understand where services are needed and monitor changes in population health.

Fortune said trusted identity and vital statistics systems can also contribute to more effective government planning by generating reliable information on populations and vital events.

He linked this effort to Sustainable Development Goal Target 16.9, which calls for legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030.

“The choice of September 16 is deliberate and deeply symbolic,” he said, noting that the observance reinforces Africa’s commitment to achieving universal legal identity.

“For Africa, this alignment underscores the continental consensus that identity is not a privilege reserved for the few, but a fundamental right owed to every person.”

The Assistant Minister said the availability of reliable identity and vital statistics data is also increasingly important as Liberia strengthens its health information systems and pursues evidence-based approaches to policy development and resource allocation.

Dr. Fortune also highlighted the growing relationship between identity systems and digital transformation across Africa.

He said secure and trusted identity systems can help improve efficiency, transparency and accountability while creating opportunities for people to access services that may previously have been difficult to reach.

However, he cautioned that digital transformation must remain focused on people and must not create new forms of exclusion.

“Yet, as we embrace digital identity, we must ensure that these systems are inclusive, equitable, and protective of human rights,” Fortune said. “Technology must serve humanity, not divide it.”

He called for continued collaboration among government institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and communities to strengthen systems for legal identity and vital statistics.

According to him, achieving universal identity requires sustained investment, knowledge-sharing and coordinated action across sectors.

“Ultimately, African Identity Day is about visibility and justice,” Fortune said. “It is about ensuring that no child grows up unseen, no citizen is denied services, and no community is excluded from development.”

He said the observance provides an opportunity for Liberia to renew its commitment to ensuring that every person is recognized and that vital events are accurately captured within national systems.

“As we commemorate this day, let us renew our commitment to the principle that every person counts, every life matters, and every identity must be recognized,” Fortune said.

“Together, we can ensure that by 2030, the promise of legal identity for all in Africa will be fulfilled.”

The Ministry of Health’s participation in African Identity Day underscores the health sector’s role in advancing civil registration and vital statistics, strengthening evidence-based planning and ensuring that accurate information about Liberia’s population contributes to better health policies and more responsive services.