Sindh launches real-time digital birth registration

Pilot project ensures newborns are instantly registered via NADRA's Birth Notification Tool

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has launched real-time digital birth registration in major public teaching hospitals in the province.

The initiative began at Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Hyderabad and Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College Hospital in Sukkur, where the births of four newborns were immediately registered using NADRA's Birth Notification Tool (BNT).

Officials said this marks the first practical milestone under Sindh's reformed Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) framework, aimed at providing integrated, technology-driven public services.

The pilot project, launched in July 2025 with technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), reflects the government's commitment to ensure every child receives a legal identity at birth while streamlining public service delivery and governance through digital systems.

The real-time digital registration system is being implemented under a tripartite agreement between the Sindh Health Department, NADRA, and the Local Government & Housing Town Planning Department.

The system integrates civil registration with healthcare centers, allowing instant, secure, and paperless registration at the point of birth. Authorities said the system reduces delays, minimises manual errors, increases transparency, and ensures accurate data for planning.

The reform process is being overseen by the CRVS Task Force, headed by the Sindh chief secretary, under the vision of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and directives of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. During the pilot phase, staff from 36 public healthcare centres in Hyderabad and Matiari districts were trained in the system's use.