Physicians for Human Rights Student Program
CHILD HEALTH
AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The Physicians for Human Rights National Student Program advocates for the health of all children. We advocate for the protection of children’s rights to help meet children’s basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential in line with the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Our new partnership with the International Society for Social Pediatrics and Child Health aims to provide you as a medical trainee with the tools you need to become a powerful advocate for the health and human rights of children globally.
AREAS OF FOCUS
The Effects of Armed Conflict on Children
Children are increasingly exposed to armed conflict and targeted by governmental and nongovernmental combatants. Armed conflict directly and indirectly affects children’s physical, mental, and behavioral health. It can affect every organ system, and its impact can persist throughout the life course. It is important for health professionals to address all rights relevant to children affected by armed conflict if optimal health and development are to be realized.
Child Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs)
Since 2014, hundreds of thousands of children and their families have migrated to the US, fleeing the violence in their home countries in the northern triangle of Central America. Yet the Trump administration’s overriding political goal of deterring immigration has seen the implementation of policies that intentionally disregard the rights and basic needs of children fleeing war, climate change, or corruption. Internationally, over half of the world’s refugees are children.
TAKE ACTION