THE CHILD’S RIGHT TO LIFE AND HEALTH

This topic is guided by the right to life, a universal human rights principle enshrined in all international human rights instruments, including the CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child). Article 6 recognizes that every child has the right to life, survival and development. This provision has been interpreted to mean that measures taken by the State should be “of a positive nature and thus designed to protect life, including life expectancy, diminish infant and child mortality, combating diseases and rehabilitating health, providing adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking water”.

That being said, the number of children who die before the age of five is still alarmingly high in some South East Asian and Sub-Saharan African countries. In the worst hit, as many as 1 in 7 are lost before that landmark age. To this end, the United Nations developed the Millennium Development Goals; the fourth of which is to reduce child mortality by two thirds by the year 2015.

Let's talk about the first five years of life and explore the reasons why so many African children do not make it to the fifth year. How can we decisively reduce Child Mortality? How much progress has been made towards meeting the challenges to attaining the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG)?

Join us as we explore the challenges to the attainment of this lofty goal as we join the world in celebrating Human Rights Day on December10.

HOST: Dr. Ladi Owolabi CO-HOST: Regina Askia Williams, RN

AFRICAN VIEWS