OO213 - English Federation of Disability Sport

CHAPTER 3A STRONGFOUNDATIONGood health, nutrition and a solid education: These arethe building blocks of life that children and their parentswant, and to which all children are entitled.Inclusive healthUnder the Convention on the Rights of theChild (CRC) and the Convention on the Rightsof Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), all childrenhave the right to the highest attainable standardof health. It follows that children with disabilitiesare equally entitled to the full spectrum of care– from immunization in infancy to proper nutritionand treatment for the ailments and injuriesof childhood, to confidential sexual and reproductivehealth information and services duringadolescence and into early adulthood. Equallycritical are such basic services as water,sanitation and hygiene.Ensuring that children with disabilities actuallyenjoy these rights on a par with others is theobjective of an inclusive approach to health. Thisis a matter of social justice and of respecting theinherent dignity of all human beings. It is alsoan investment in the future: Like other children,those with disabilities are tomorrow’s adults.They need good health for its own sake, forthe crucial role it plays in facilitating a happychildhood and for the boost it can give theirprospects as future producers and parents.ImmunizationImmunizations are a critical component ofglobal efforts to reduce childhood illness anddeath. They are among the most successful andcost-effective of all public health interventions,with the strong potential to reduce the burden ofmorbidity and mortality, particularly for childrenunder 5 years of age. For this reason, immunizationhas been a cornerstone of national and internationalhealth initiatives. More children than everbefore are being reached. One consequence hasbeen that the incidence of polio – which can leadto permanent muscle paralysis – fell from morethan 350,000 cases in 1988 to 221 cases in 2012. 34There is still a considerable way to go. In 2008,for example, over a million children under5 died from pneumococcal disease, rotavirusdiarrhoea and Haemophilus influenzae type B.Vaccination can actually prevent a large numberof these deaths. 35The inclusion of children with disabilities inimmunization efforts is not only ethical butimperative for public health and equity: Goalsof universal coverage can only be achieved ifchildren who have disabilities are included inimmunization efforts. 36While immunization is an important means ofpre-empting diseases that lead to disabilities, itis no less important for a child who already has adisability to be immunized. Unfortunately, manychildren with disabilities are still not benefitingfrom increased immunization coverage, thoughthey are at the same risk of childhood diseasesas all children. If they are left unimmunized orA STRONG FOUNDATION23