Fiji’s Ministry of Justice has launched on-site birth registration services at Suva’s Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital, marking a major step toward making legal identity more accessible for newborns and their families.
The initiative, which began this week, is a key outcome of the Fiji CRVS Project on Addressing Gender Inequities in On-Time Birth Registration and underscores the government’s pledge to strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) services across the country.
CWM Hospital, the nation’s largest birthing facility with more than 8,500 births recorded annually, is now home to a dedicated Ministry of Justice team stationed directly within the hospital. The move has already produced a swift and enthusiastic response from mothers and families seeking to register their children immediately after birth—eliminating the need for time-consuming travel and administrative hurdles.
During the first two days alone, the service recorded strong uptake. On 27 November, staff processed two late birth registrations, five new registrations, and four birth certificate reprints. By 10 a.m. the next day, the numbers continued to climb, with four additional late registrations, one new registration, and six birth certificate printings completed. Officials say the early demand confirms long-standing challenges faced by families, especially new mothers balancing childcare, recovery, and transportation needs.
The Ministry of Justice says the hospital-based service will drastically improve both the timeliness and accuracy of birth registrations by ensuring newborns are registered at the point of care rather than after discharge. The reform also aims to reduce barriers that often delay legal recognition, including the cost and logistics of travelling to registration offices—obstacles that disproportionately affect women and rural families.
This rollout forms part of a broader national effort to modernise Fiji’s CRVS system. The initiative is supported by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Pacific Community (SPC), Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other development partners. Together, these agencies are working to ensure that health and justice systems can share real-time data, allowing for more accurate population statistics and better policy planning.
The Ministry of Justice says the strong community response in the first 48 hours demonstrates the importance of bringing essential services closer to families. It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that no child in Fiji leaves the hospital without being officially recorded and recognised. The ministry also thanked frontline officers, hospital staff, and international partners for their collaboration in strengthening Fiji’s civil registration system.
