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Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Community empowerment initiatives working with poor and marginalized communities have achieved extraordinary health outcomes, for example in the global fight to end HIV/AIDS (target 3.3) (E/HLPF/2016/2, para. 107). Economic and social empowerment, such as the decriminalization of sex work and sex worker mobilization, have improved health and identified critical health gaps (Goals 3 and 5). Community mobilization to attain adequate and stable housing for homeless people living with HIV can have life-saving implications for their health (targets 3.3 and 11.1). Efforts to empower parents in vulnerable situations through participatory parental education initiatives reduce the risk of negative health outcomes for their children (Goal 3 and targets 4.2, 5.2 and 16.2). When young girls have access to education, child mortality rates and girls' long-term health improve (Goals 3, 4 and 5) (A/70/213, para. 9). Investments in such initiatives place the human rights principles of autonomy and participation at the centre of public health policy and are critical components of an open, inclusive and peaceful society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Other legal restrictions also contribute to making legal abortions inaccessible. Conscientious objection laws create barriers to access by permitting health-care providers and ancillary personnel, such as receptionists and pharmacists, to refuse to provide abortion services, information about procedures and referrals to alternative facilities and providers. Examples of other restrictions include: laws prohibiting public funding of abortion care; requirements of counselling and mandatory waiting periods for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy; requirements that abortions be approved by more than one health-care provider; parental and spousal consent requirements; and laws that require health-care providers to report "suspected" cases of illegal abortion when women present for post-abortion care, including miscarriages. These laws make safe abortions and post-abortion care unavailable, especially to poor, displaced and young women. Such restrictive regimes, which are not replicated in other areas of sexual and reproductive health care, serve to reinforce the stigma that abortion is an objectionable practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Health workers and other professionals such as social workers have a very important role to play in supporting positive and responsive parenting. States should ensure that there are an adequate number of general practitioners, paediatricians, nurses and other relevant health-care professionals trained to work with children. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that the training and practice of medical doctors, nurses and other health professionals continues to focus predominantly on the biomedical determinants of health. Health-care services and all relevant professionals should be better equipped with relevant knowledge and practical skills to respond proactively to new knowledge about the negative impact of social determinants and early childhood adversities on the physical and mental health of children. For example, nurses and social workers, who visit families with young children should be trained to address issues related to the emotional and cognitive development of children and should be able to provide parents with the knowledge and basic skills necessary for nurturing and responsive parenting and non-violent ways of bringing up children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Studies have shown that while few young people have accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS, women are generally even less well informed than men. In a UNAIDS study of 147 countries, whereas more than 70 per cent of young men were found to recognize that condoms can protect against HIV, only 55 per cent of young women identified condoms as an effective strategy for HIV prevention. Women and girls are disproportionally impacted by legal restrictions to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and information, which both reinforces and exacerbates the gender inequalities that the figures demonstrate. The existence of legal restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health information and education lead to the provision of inaccurate information through informal sources that are often inaccurate and may reinforce negative gender stereotypes. As a result, young women are less prepared for their sexual and reproductive lives, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, abuse and exploitation, as well as to an increased risk of unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Prevention cannot justify disproportionate infringements of adolescents' rights, including their rights to privacy, bodily integrity and education. States are encouraged to continue to restrict and, when necessary, ban alcohol and tobacco advertising, which has too often targeted young people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- It is estimated that 1.3 million adolescents died in 2012 from preventable or treatable causes. Road traffic accidents, suicide and homicide, violence and war, drowning and fire-related incidents account for about 40 per cent of all deaths among youth (people aged between 15 and 24 years). A small percentage of adolescents suffer from life-limiting and sometimes terminal illness, of which a majority are estimated to have no access to palliative care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- By investing in the good mental health of children and youth, a substantial contribution is made not only to the sustainable development of our economies, for which good emotional and cognitive abilities are needed, but also the root causes of intolerance and social exclusion are addressed and healthy and cohesive societies promoted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 112l
- Paragraph text
- [In this connection, the Special Rapporteur urges Governments:] To comply fully with the standards contained in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and eliminate outdated practices based on institutional care and excessive medication of young children with developmental and other disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 112k
- Paragraph text
- [In this connection, the Special Rapporteur urges Governments:] To eliminate institutional care for children during the first five years of life and promote investments in community-based services for families at risk, including for families living in poverty and those with young children with developmental and other disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 112c
- Paragraph text
- [In this connection, the Special Rapporteur urges Governments:] To introduce legal and policy measures that promote effective interventions to improve the quality of relationships between young children and parents, to promote the competence of parents and to equip and support them with skills for bringing up young children in a non-violent way;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Accountability should include the development of new measures to monitor the development of young children, at the level both of the individual and the population. Therefore, the selection of indicators and the systematic gathering of data, disaggregated where appropriate, are not only essential to monitor progress but also to support accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The role of the health sector is given particular attention in the present report. However, as recognized in, among other texts, the Declaration of Alma-Ata, other sectors are also very important for early child health and holistic development. The right to health of young children should be promoted and protected through sustainable and transparent implementation of the principle "health in all policies".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States and all relevant stakeholders should adopt an understanding that young children are active participants in interactions with members of their family and community as well as users of health and other services. In this regard, they are entitled to the same respect and dignity as all other members of the family, community and society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The treaties set out entitlements and freedoms, assign duties, provide a legally binding framework and demand accountability. They demand particular efforts, mostly by States, to address inequality and discrimination, focusing on the most marginalized young children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Research has shown the damaging mental health and social impact of adversities and trauma experienced throughout childhood. Toxic stress, abusive family and intimate relationships, the placement of young children in institutional care, bullying, sexual, physical and emotional child abuse and parental loss negatively affect brain development and the ability to form healthy relationships, all affecting the ability of children to fully realize their right to health as they transition into adulthood (see A/HRC/32/32, paras. 67-73, and A/70/213, para. 67).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- There is an alarming lack of HIV-related harm reduction services designed for adolescents who inject drugs, as well as multiple barriers to accessing such services, including age restrictions in law, and absence of data on injecting drug use among children and young people in most countries. Technical guidelines on HIV prevention, treatment care and support for young people who inject drugs have been developed, and should form the basis of States' efforts in this regard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- Beyond sheer survival, children have a right to thrive, develop in a holistic way to their full potential and enjoy good physical and mental health in a sustainable world. The right of young children to healthy development is crucial to promote and protect the right to health throughout life as well as to foster sustainable human development; however it has not yet received adequate attention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a comprehensive normative and legally binding framework to address the right to health and the holistic development of the young child. States have legally binding obligations to adopt and implement laws, regulations, policies, budgetary measures, programmes and other initiatives to ensure the respect, protection and fulfilment of the right to health, including healthy development, in early childhood.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 65b
- Paragraph text
- [With a view to ensuring their obligation to realize the right to health of vulnerable groups such as children, women and low-income groups, the Special Rapporteur recommends that States take the following steps:] Formulate and implement health education programmes to promote healthy food options in such institutional settings as schools, health or youth centres and workplaces by involving children, parents and employees, respectively;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to mental health 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur highlights the devastating impact that institutionalization has on young children, particularly on their mental health and holistic development. Mental health-related services for children receive inadequate investment and lack quality standards of care and staffing, thus creating an environment where abuse is common for children with disabilities or with difficulties in social and emotional development, especially for those in institutional care. There are many examples of innovative child mental health services and practices throughout the world and there is convincing research on their effectiveness in promoting mental health and preventing deterioration in mental health conditions. However, those good practices often serve merely as pilot projects, owing to a lack of political will to replicate and mainstream them in general childcare services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- International sporting actors must take more action to ensure that the rights of children participating in their competitions or events are protected. Presently, there are no consistent minimum age limits for competing in international adult sporting events, nor is there any coordinated action regarding the international movement of children and adolescents for participation in high-level or professional sport. Responsibility for the well-being of young athletes is often delegated to States or national sporting organizations. International sporting actors should standardize policies and protocols concerning the participation of children in high-level or professional sport in order to protect the children's health and other human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The benefits of participation in physical activity and sport and the adoption of healthy lifestyles can be especially pronounced for children. Physically active young people have higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness, better metabolic profiles, improved bone health and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Accordingly, WHO has recommended that children and adolescents should participate in 60 minutes of cumulative physical activity daily. Among adolescents, there is a correlation between participation in organized sport and an increased likelihood of meeting physical activity targets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Protection of the human rights of those participating in sport and physical activity is a State obligation under the right to health. There are numerous documented instances of health rights abuses within competitive sport: the General Assembly has acknowledged with concern "the dangers faced by sportsmen and sportswomen, in particular young athletes, including, inter alia, child labour, violence, doping, early specialization, overtraining and exploitative forms of commercialization, as well as less visible threats and deprivations, such as the premature severance of family bonds and the loss of sporting, social and cultural ties".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sports and healthy lifestyles as contributing factors to the right to health 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- States should also provide training and materials to sports organizations on the adoption of rights-based approaches to health in the sporting context. These should include information on protection against physical, sexual and psychological abuse, exploitation and violence, on protection against discrimination and on gender equality, on appropriate limits for intensive training, especially for children and young people, on protection against coercive/forced doping and medical procedures, and on other rights connected to the right to health and sport, such as young athletes' right to an education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- With regard to the prevention of substance use, children and young people should be provided with accurate and objective information, which should be available in easy-to-understand formats or Braille. Scare tactics and misinformation are known to be ineffective, whereas building resilience and trust while focusing on those demonstrating risk-taking behaviours has delivered promising results. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has produced guidance on drug prevention standards to be used when designing prevention policies and porgrammes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The nature of adolescents' mental health needs differs from that of adults and requires targeted services. However, a national health system of well-functioning, effective and adolescent-friendly services remains the exception rather than the rule. Less than one third of low- and middle-income countries have a designated youth mental health entity and most lack youth-focused mental health policies. Where they do exist, they often fail to meet quality standards and may even be harmful to the health and development of adolescents. Adolescents may be detained for a long time in overcrowded, in-patient facilities where little attempt is made at rehabilitation or social integration. These approaches violate adolescents' human rights and worsen, rather than ameliorate, mental health conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- One-size-fits-all policies designed for children or youth often fail to address adolescents, particularly 10-14 year-olds. Lack of awareness or understanding of their unique health needs can render adolescents invisible. Adolescents face multiple barriers to health services, including the following: restrictive laws and policies; unavailability of contraception or safe abortions; inaccessible services owing to lack of information, distance or cost; failure to ensure privacy and confidentiality; parental consent or notification requirements; provision of services in a manner that is disrespectful, hostile, judgemental or lacking sympathy; and discrimination against particular groups of adolescents, including those with disabilities, those living and working on the streets or in the sex trade and those from historically marginalized groups. States have positive human rights obligations to guarantee adolescents' rights and meaningfully engage with them in identifying their needs and priorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The cooperation between sectors can also be beneficial to facilitate access to preschool education, especially for children of families at risk, and enable community readiness to accept and integrate children and adults with disabilities into all of the everyday life of the community. This approach can also offer opportunities for adolescents and youth at risk to find alternatives to youth violence by engaging them in community programmes that support recreation centres for older persons, thus contributing to the reinforcement of intergenerational links and improving the quality of human relationships in general.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Second, in accordance with their evolving capacities, young children, including infants, have a right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them and to have these views taken into account. Infants and very young children have particular forms of expression, which, because of their age, are sometimes non-verbal. Young children should be active participants in the promotion, protection and monitoring of their rights within the family, the community and society, in accordance with their evolving capacities. States must therefore ensure the necessary institutional arrangements for the participation of young children and their caregivers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Infants
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- States have a legally binding obligation to ensure the participation of rights holders in priority-setting; legislative and policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; and accountability for the realization of the right to health and the holistic development of the young child. All segments of the population, including the most marginalized, must be empowered to participate (A/HRC/27/31, paras. 28-30). States must create an enabling environment for participation, for example by enhancing the knowledge and awareness of stakeholders, including the parents of young children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph