All children have the right to good health

Water and food are fundamental to children's health. Knowing how to take care of themselves is also important for children to be healthy. Medical care should also be available when needed.

But children don't just need water, food and healthcare. They also need security, a home, the opportunity to go to school and play.

What does the Convention on the Rights of the Child say about children's health and well-being?

Article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that all children have the right to life and development. This requires good food and clean water.

Articles 23 and 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child say that all countries should do what they can to ensure the well-being of children. This means that all children have the right to care and medicine when they are sick and that mothers with young children should also receive good care. Parents also need to be taught how to care for their child.

Articles 26 and 27 of the UNCRC state that all children have the right to social security and an adequate standard of living, including housing, clothing and food.
If your parents are poor, sick or unemployed, your family should receive help. A parent who doesn't live with their child should still take on responsibilities, such as paying for the child's food or clothing.

What do the UN Global Goals say about child health and well-being?

Global Goal 2 - No hunger

Everyone in the world should have enough food. This is particularly important for poor and vulnerable people, but also for pregnant women and the elderly. Today, 821 million people around the world are undernourished and the number of people going hungry has increased over the last five years.

Poor nutrition and lack of food prevent children from growing and developing well. The situation for children has improved, but it is too slow.

In many parts of the world, most food is grown by small farmers. When rain or drought destroys the harvest, there is no food to buy. Smallholders need to grow more and with better methods. Developing crops that can cope with climate change and contribute to a healthy environment is important to ensure that everyone is fed in the long term.

Global Goal 3 - Health and well-being

Everyone has the right to receive care and medicine if they fall ill. Care should not be so expensive that not everyone can afford to pay. We also need better information on how to prevent illness and help ourselves. We need to know how to stay healthy and what to do when we get sick.

Poverty is a major barrier to good health and in many parts of the world there is a lack of funding for basic services such as food, healthcare and vaccines.

Global Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation

Everyone should have access to clean drinking water and no one should have to go to the toilet outside. Water should be safe and not contaminated on its way to the drinker. Everyone should have access to good hygiene, such as washing their hands, using a toilet and taking a shower.

Today, seven out of ten people in the world have access to clean water. Many people use poor, or no, toilets. Not many people have the opportunity to wash after using the toilet and when people live in close proximity, diseases can easily spread. A good toilet is also a comfort for many girls, especially during menstruation.

This text was originally published 1 March 2019.