CHILDREN'S RIGHT TO ACCESS HEALTH SERVICE

The first effective effort in defending children's right was the Declaration of Children's right made in 1924 by Eglantyne Jebb, followed in 1989 by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNHCR)

The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNHCR) is an international rights treaty that grants all children and young people (aged 17 and under) a comprehensive set of rights, including :

• Special protection measures and assistance
• Acces to services such as education and health care.
• Develop their personalities, abilities and telents to the fullent potential
• Grow up in an environment of happiness, love and understanding
• Be informed about and participate in achieving theri rights in an accessible and active manner.

The four core principles of the convention are nondiscrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child ; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child.

The Indonesian goverment celbrates the national children's day in Indonesia the 23rd of July and had also ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child through Presidential Decree No. 36, Year 1990, that articulates the State's responsibility to provide services and programmers for the welfare of children in fulfillment of its obligations as a State Party to the UNCRC

Since 1954, the Children's world day is celebrated the 20th of November.

Extract Of The UNCRC
Article 24: Health

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. states Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health care services.
2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take appropriate measures ;
   

• To diminish infant and child mortality;
• To ensure the provision of necessariy medical asistance and health to all children whith emphasis on the development of primary health care;
• To combat desease and malnutrition, including within the framework of primary health care, through, interalia, the application of readily available technology and through the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking-water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution;
• To ensure appropriate pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers;
• To ensure that all segments of seciety, in particular parents and children, are informed, have acces to eductions and are supported in the use of basic knowledge of child health and nutrition, the advantage of breastfeeding, hygiene and environmental sanitation and the prevention of accidents ;
• To develop preventive health care, guidence for parents and family planning education and services.

3. States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.
4. States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international cooperation with a view to achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognized in the present article. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.

Sources : Dr. Melisa Lilisari, Medical Editor, Health Messenger.