What can be a better way to remind people of the importance of birth registration than sending a text message and also asking the recipient to spread the message.

Delhi-based NGO Churches Auxilary for Social Action (CASA) and UP-based NGO Vatsalya have together launched an SMS campaign to spread awareness on birth registration across the state. The SMS campaign, which is a part of the “Promote Birth Registration” campaign, will conclude in March and will see a series of three text messages to create awareness about the need of birth registration. The recipients will be selected from the database prepared by the NGOs.

This is the first time that such a campaign has been launched in the state. According to official statistics, UP has the poorest record of registering child birth before the child turns three. Only 40.3 per cent get their first identity certificate before they turn five. The situation is the same in rural and urban areas.

Dr Neelam Singh of Vatsalya, who has spearheaded the campaign, said: “We are running a statewide campaign to promote birth registration as UP is one of the poorest states in terms of birth registration.”

According to Singh, people in UP still do not realise that birth registration is one of the most important rights of a child and it is free if it is done within a year of the birth.

“People’s representatives like MPs, MLAs and even the gram pradhans never promote this issue. It is important that they talk about it and take it to the masses,” said Dr Singh. “We have procured the numbers of MPs, MLA, district magistrates, chief medical officers, gram pradhans, panchayat secretaries and teachers of government primary schools from all the 71 districts,” said Singh.

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