The right to health in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 24, is helpful in Canada because it highlights the importance of the social determinants of health for children. Canada’s report for the 5th/6th review of children’s rights recognizes vulnerable groups of children but pays too little attention to the conditions in which they live. The CCRC proposes that all levels of government in Canada take action to close gaps in the basic factors that affect the health of children, before the end of this review.
Healthy Conditions for Growing Up, the third fact sheet for the review process highlights three areas for action to improve realization of children’s right to health.
A Working Paper on the Social Determinants of Children’s Health includes more detail and research that shows the importance of public policies to create healthy conditions for all children in Canada.
The Working Paper and Fact Sheet were developed by Prof. Donna Koller, PhD, and Ellie Murphy, RECE, Early Childhood Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).