| The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the | | | | August 2008). |
| Child provides that a child has a right to a name and a | | | | The Committee of United nations Convention on the |
| nationality. The Convention provides for the | | | | Rights of the Child (2008) General Comment No. 3: |
| registration of a child immediate after birth. It is | | | | HIV/AIDS and the rights of the child said: |
| unfortunate that in 2006, births around 15 million | | | | "The committee wishes to emphasize the critical |
| children went unregistered. | | | | implications of proof of identity for children affected |
| Civil registration is one of the fundamental rights of | | | | by HIV/AIDS as it relates to securing recognition as a |
| children and is a prerequisite to fulfilling other human | | | | person before the law, safeguarding the protection |
| rights and access to essential services. This includes | | | | of rights, in particular to inheritance, education, health |
| access to education, health care, and protection from | | | | and other social services... In this respect birth |
| child labor, child marriage, underage military service, | | | | registration is critical to ensuring the rights of the child |
| child trafficking, and harassment by police. | | | | and is also necessary to minimize the impact of HIV |
| Civil registration is of utmost importance for both | | | | AIDS on the lives of affected children" (Emphasis |
| states and individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. In | | | | added) |
| 2006, 36 % of the 51 million children who born have | | | | A strong civil registration system also helps policy and |
| not had their birth registration were found in | | | | decision-makers meet the challenges of HIV/AIDS by |
| Sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa also has the | | | | planning the appropriate scale of budget allocations |
| highest HIV prevalence rate in the world and the | | | | and distribution of prevention, treatment, care and |
| number of children orphaned by AIDS in this region is | | | | support services. Such systems keep track of AIDS |
| projected to keep increasing. | | | | IN terms of the total number of AIDS-related |
| A child's birth certificate may ensure success to key | | | | deaths, the survival rate of those on ART and the |
| HIV prevention, treatment, care and support | | | | number of children affected and orphaned by the |
| services, such as health care, education and other | | | | pandemic. |
| services. A parent's death certificate is of equal | | | | The data compiled by birth and death registration |
| critical importance for the child's right to inheritance | | | | further provides the foundation for achieving the |
| and properly to be protected. A child with a birth | | | | Millennium Development Goals (MDG), such as MDG 4, |
| certificate "has so many chances... It will be very | | | | reducing child mortality, and MDG 6, combating HIV |
| good for that child" (focus group discussion with HIV | | | | AIDS. |
| positive parents, Mukujju health Centre, Uganda, | | | | |