3.8 Answers to activities

Activity 3.1: Children’s rights relevant to health

You will have easily identified Article 24: the right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health and health care facilities, with specific obligations to:

• diminish infant and child mortality
• provide health care to all children, with an emphasis on primary health care
• combat disease and malnutrition, through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking water
• ensure appropriate prenatal and post-natal health care for mothers
• provide knowledge of child health and nutrition, breastfeeding, hygiene and how to prevent accidents
• develop preventive health care, guidance for parents, and family planning education and services
• abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.

You will remember that you looked at the general principles in the previous session, and that they need to be considered in the implementation of all other rights.

Article 2: the right to non-discrimination applies to access to health care and the underlying determinants of health.

Article 3: the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in respect of individual decision making, in the design and delivery of health services, and in respect of public policy impacting on child health.

Article 6: the right to life and optimum development.

Article 12: children have the right to express their views on all aspects of their health and health care, their views being given due weight in accordance with their age and maturity.

Other Articles that are also relevant to a child’s right to health:

Article 7: the right to birth registration without which many children are unable to access health care.

Article 19 : the right to protection from all forms of violence and abuse.

Article 23: the right of children with disabilities to health care services that promote their fullest possible social inclusion.

Article 26: the right to benefit from social security.

Article 27: the right to an adequate standard of living for proper development.

Article 31: the right to rest, play, recreation, leisure and access to cultural life.

Article 32: the right to protection from economic exploitation or hazardous work.

Article 34: the right to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.

Article 39: the right to rehabilitation following neglect, exploitation or abuse.

Article 42: the right to know about the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its implications for their lives.

The fact that health is dependent on so many other factors in the wider society is discussed in more detail in Module 4.