ECOWAS Human Rights Day: NHRC boss calls for improved healthcare services for children

As Nigeria joins the rest of the West African Sub Region to commemorate the 2022 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Human Rights Day, Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu (SAN) has called on government and relevant stakeholders to do more in providing healthcare services for children in order to ensure adequate enjoyment of their rights to health.

The Executive Secretary who made this call in Abuja said although the Nigerian government has put many policies in place for the advancement of the child’s rights to health, there is still more to be done.

He said the theme for this year’s celebration “Guaranteeing Child Rights to Health for Inclusive Community Development” is apt, considering the challenges faced by children which infringe on the enjoyment of their rights to health. These challenges he said are mostly occasioned by insecurity and other forms of conflict in the sub-region.

Ojukwu described the situation as, “Unfortunate, limiting access to health care services and a wide range of rights, like health-related education and information, including information on the effect of harmful traditional practices, all these are hampered by a situation of unrest”.

The NHRC boss said, to adequately guarantee child right to health, government and stakeholders at all levels must create an enabling environment that will enhance the enjoyment of this right, for instance, “the provision of safe potable water, adequate sanitation, adequate and nutritious food, adequate housing, healthy environment, etc”.

He added that “the fundamental rights to health of children are hinged on these human rights needs that must be met by all standards regardless of sex, ethnicity, ability or race of a child” and that children’s health rights differ from that of adults and that they are vulnerable to violations due to their age which makes them depend on adults to meet their health needs, thereby making them unable to protect themselves.

A statement by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs of the NHRC, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed on Sunday said ECOWAS has set aside the 16th of January every year as its human rights day.

The day, she said coincides with the day the first female African head of state, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was sworn in as the president of the Republic of Liberia. The maiden celebration of the ECOWAS human rights day was in 2017.

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