Dakar, Senegal – Tens of thousands of Senegalese children are facing an uncertain future due to a widespread lack of birth registration, a crisis that is hindering access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.
The issue came to the fore as hundreds of thousands of students sat their end-of-year exams this week. Among them was 12-year-old Lassou Samb, who narrowly escaped being barred from the test because he lacked a birth certificate, a common document that is proving elusive for many Senegalese families.
Approximately 70,000 students registered for primary school exams this year were without the necessary civil status documents, highlighting the scale of the problem.
The consequences of not being registered at birth are far-reaching, affecting everything from accessing healthcare and enrolling in school to obtaining legal identification and participating fully in society.
Senegal’s government has acknowledged the crisis, temporarily waiving the birth certificate requirement for this year’s exams. However, officials admit that more needs to be done to address the root causes of the problem.
While the issue is particularly acute in Senegal, it is a broader African challenge. According to the World Health Organization, only 44 percent of births in Africa are registered, compared to 98 percent in Europe.
Factors contributing to the problem include poverty, illiteracy, long distances to registration offices, and a lack of awareness of the importance of birth registration. Corruption and bureaucratic hurdles also play a role.
The Senegalese government is working to digitize its civil registry system and improve access to registration services. But experts warn that it will take time to overcome the legacy of underinvestment and inefficiency.
