Dissertation

The right to health of the child : an analytical exploration of the international normative framework

Large numbers of children all over the world face significant health risks, such as infectious and chronic diseases, malnutrition, injuries and the consequences of natural disasters, protracted armed conflicts and poverty.

Author

Sarah Spronk

Date

27 November 2014

Links

Leiden University Repository

Every year, 4 million babies die within the first month of their life and almost 8 million children under the age of five die from preventable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia, measles and diarrhoea. These general statistics do not reveal the underlying inequalities in health between and within countries. One of the causes of the inequalities is that, in many countries, vulnerable groups of children have no or only limited access to health services. This research aims to identify the standards in international law for realizing the right to the highest attainable standard of health of the child. The central questions that are analysed: a. What priorities derive from the concept of the highest attainable standard of health of the child, its definition and the interpretation of the key constituent elements on the basis of international human rights law? b. How should this concept be implemented in the light of the international human rights standards?

 

Keywords:

Children
Health
Right to health