Category: children

How is children’s health a human rights issue? What are children’s health rights? Under international human rights law, children are entitled “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.” This right is articulated in Article 24 of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is the most widely ratified international human rights…

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Table A: International Human Rights Instruments and Protected Rights and Fundamental Freedoms UDHR ICCPR ICESCR CEDAW ICERD CRC Life Art. 3 Art. 6(1) Art. 6(1) Non-Discrimination and Equality Art. 1,Art. 2 Art. 2(1), Art. 3 Art. 2(2), Art. 3 Art. 2, All Art. 2, Art. 5, All Art. 2 Have Views Respected  Art. 12 Expression and Information Art. 19 Art. 19(2) Art. 13, Art. 17 Abuse, Torture, and Ill-Treatment* Art.…

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Table 1: Children’s Health and the Right to Life, Survival and Development Examples of Human Rights Violations High rates of maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality rates. Ill-treatment, abandonment or even infanticide of children motivated by traditional beliefs. High rates of child and adolescent suicide and self-harm. Allowing the death penalty to be imposed for crimes committed by individuals under the age of 18. Failing to protect children from violence (e.g. Mapiripán…

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Table 2: Children’s Health and the Right to Non-Discrimination Examples of Human Rights Violations Discrimination against Roma children, indigenous children, and children of other minority communities with regard to access to health care, education and housing. A lack of culturally appropriate services, including social and health services and education, resulting in the discrimination against minority children. Disparities in health outcomes of children on the basis of ethnic, racial, religious or geographic lines.  Human…

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Table 3: Children’s Health and the Right to Have His or Her Views Respected Examples of Human Rights Violations Failing to enshrine the child’s right to express his or her own views and the opportunity to be heard into domestic law and policy. Socio-attitudinal contexts that prevent children from expressing their views. Human Rights Standards Treaty Body Interpretation CRC 12(1): States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable…

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Table 4: Children’s Health and the Right to Information  Examples of Human Rights Violations Limited access to health information, particularly reproductive health for adolescents. Information is disseminated in a language that most children do not understand. Official censorship on media that restricts the right of children to appropriate information. Human Rights Standards Treaty Body Interpretation CRC 13: The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall…

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Table 5: Children’s Health and the Freedom from Abuse, Torture and Ill-Treatment Examples of Human Rights Violations Failure to criminalize corporal punishment against children in schools and homes. Insufficient measures taken to protect children from domestic violence, abuse and neglect, including the absence of legislation and/or a national framework for protection. Torture and ill-treatment of children in detention by police and security forces. Sexual violence and abuse of children, particularly…

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Table 6: Children’s Health and the Rights of Children with Disabilities Examples of Human Rights Violations Limitations in access to education and health care services for children with disabilities. Lack of a comprehensive government policy for children with disabilities that considers their overall development needs, including the right to health. Discrimination and stigmatization of children with disabilities. Limited availability of special education teachers, or lack of training of mainstream teachers. Human…

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Table 7: Children’s Health and the Right to the Highest Attainable Standard of Health Examples of Human Rights Violations High levels of infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates due to limited access to health services. The low level of vaccination rates, due in part to the lack of health workers. Wide disparity in the provision of health services, particularly in rural areas. Human Rights Standards Treaty Body Interpretation CRC 24(1):…

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Table 8: Children’s Health and the Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Education, Including on HIV Examples of Human Rights Violations Insufficient efforts to provide adolescents to appropriate reproductive health services, including reproductive health education in school. High rates of unplanned pregnancies among adolescents and the correspondingly high rates of abortion among adolescents in such situations. High rates of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV, due in part to the…

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