(Buchanan, February 6, 2026) – The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its Department of Policy, Planning, Research, and M&E, has validated a revised Birth and Death Registration and Certification Policy following a three-day review in Buchanan, from February 3 to 5, 2026.

The objective of the policy review and validation meeting was to solicit stakeholders’ inputs toward finalizing the draft policy, as well as to improve nationwide registration coverage and strengthen certification processes for both births and deaths.

Opening the meeting on behalf of Health Minister Dr. Louise Mapleh-Kpoto, Assistant Minister for Preventive Services Dr. Cuallau Jabbeh-Howe underscored the legal and social importance of birth and death certificates, describing them as fundamental entitlements that many families still struggle to obtain.

“Birth and death certificates represent our identity,” Jabbeh-Howe said. “Every citizen has a right to these documents, and they should be readily available. The process we are validating is intended to ensure that access, but its success will depend on all of us.”

She urged stakeholders to actively engage in the review and take responsibility for implementing the policy once adopted.

Providing background to the revision, Hon. George P. Jacobs, Assistant Minister for Policy, Planning, Research, and M&E, said the policy update was driven by changes in Liberia’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) landscape since the last version was developed in 2017.

“Digitalization, decentralization, and the adoption of new national development and health system frameworks made it necessary to update the policy,” Jacobs said, adding that the revision aligns the system with current national priorities and international best practices.

Assistant Minister Jacobs: “Since then, significant changes have occurred in the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) environment. Emerging issues such as digitalization and decentralization, as well as new national development frameworks and health system policy, all necessitated the decision for us to update the Birth and Death Registration and Certification Policy. Reviewing and updating this policy reflects current national priorities, and it ensures that the policy remains relevant, effective, and aligned with international best practices.”

Assistant Minister for Vital Statistics, Dr. Anthony L. Fortune, said birth and death registration, particularly for adults, has remained largely centralized in Montserrado and dependent on paper-based processing, limiting access for citizens in other parts of the country.

“The Ministry intends to remedy this by introducing online registration and issuing electronic certificates in the coming months,” Dr. Fortune said. He noted that digital and infrastructural systems are currently being developed to support the transition.

Decentralization, he added, will begin this year with pilot programs in Bong and Grand Gedeh counties, with plans to gradually expand registration and certification services to all counties nationwide.

During the meeting, Mr. Martin Dumoe, Director of Policy, Planning, Research, and M&E, presented the draft policy, which envisions a Liberia where every birth and death is registered, certified, and recognized as a basis for legal identity, human rights protection, and evidence-based development planning.

The policy’s mission calls for an inclusive, decentralized, and sustainable CRVS system that guarantees universal access to timely and reliable registration services through digital innovation, strong governance, and community participation.

The validation process brought together representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Local Government; the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services; the Liberia Immigration Service; the National Identification Registry; UNICEF; UNFPA; the Liberia National Bar Association; and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia.

The Ministry of Health remains committed to ensuring that every citizen of the Republic of Liberia has access to birth and death certificates.