The Right to Life and Health

In Iran, there is hardly a day that goes by without a report on abuse and violence against children, or even disciplinary and judicial actions taken against them. Recently, the Iranian parliament approved the general principles of the "Child and Adolescent Rights Protection Bill" after months of deliberation. Who is a child and what rights do they have? This program addresses questions in this regard. A child has the right to physical and mental health and the right to access necessary and appropriate health and medical facilities for a swift recovery in case of illness. The family's economic situation should not be an obstacle to the child's treatment. In fact, no factor should lead to discrimination against the child in accessing health and medical facilities. The right to appropriate health care for children is a responsibility of governments. The government must first establish appropriate protective laws to improve the child's conditions so that if the child becomes ill, they can access hospitals, medications, and treatment regardless of the family's economic situation. Hospitals and health centers must be obligated to address the child's physical conditions, and no discrimination should prevent the child from receiving care and treatment. Cultural conditions and prevalent folk beliefs must also be considered. If a child becomes ill or has an accident, the best individuals to diagnose the illness and assist in their recovery are specialists in the field, such as doctors or nurses. Some folk remedies not only do not improve the child's condition but can also worsen it and endanger the child's life. Preventive laws, such as vaccination, are the responsibilities of the family, community, and government towards the child. Health is recognized as a necessary (fundamental) prerequisite for life, happiness, and flourishing. The Convention on the Rights of the Child considers health rights as part of the core of children's economic and social rights. According to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the right to health is of vital importance, as all children have the right to life and development while enjoying physical, emotional, and social well-being. Despite significant achievements since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child regarding children's health, serious challenges remain. According to Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, member states are committed to ensuring the life and development of children from various physical, psychological, moral, spiritual, and social aspects. The Committee on the Rights of the Child explicitly recognizes the right to health and life of the fetus, or in other words, unborn children, and calls on states to take appropriate measures to ensure the health of mothers during pregnancy and their access to adequate nutrition and medical care to prevent child mortality during the fetal stage. Another important aspect is facilitating breastfeeding for infants, which is referred to as a desirable practice. Furthermore, the Committee emphasizes that the quality of parental behavior has a significant impact on the child's health. From the perspective of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the principle of non-discrimination concerning girls is of particular importance and serves as a barrier to killing newborns or female fetuses, discriminatory feeding practices for young children, gender stereotypes, and access to services. The Committee has also emphasized that the different needs of girls and boys and the impact of social norms and values related to gender on the health and development of girls and boys must be taken into account. Additionally, harmful gender-based practices and behavioral norms in various traditions and customs that lead to violations of children's health rights must be considered.