national strategy for promoting women’s right to health throughout their life span. Such a strategy should include interventions aimed at the prevention and treatment of diseases affecting women, as well as policies to provide access to a full range of high quality and affordable health care, including sexual and reproductive services. A major goal should be reducing women’s health mortality risks. particularly lowering rates of maternal and protecting realization women from domestic of women’s right to violence. The health requires the information, to receive counselling and to negotiate the health-behaviour choices they make. The realization of the right to health of adolescents is dependent on the development of youth-friendly health care, which respects confidentiality and privacy and includes appropriate sexual and reproductive health services, 24. Inall policies and programmes aimed at guaranteeing the right to health of children and adolescents their best interests shall be a primary consideration. removal of all barriers interfering with access to health services, education and information, including in the area Ider persons of sexual and reproductive health. It is also important to undertake preventive, promotive and remedial action 25. to shield women from the impact of harmful traditional health of older persons, the Committee, in accordance cultural practices and norms that deny them their full reproductive rights. with paragraphs 34 and 35 of General Comment No. Children and adolescents With regard to the realization of the right to 6 (1995), reaffirms the importance of an integrated approach, combining elements of preventive, curative and rehabilitative health treatment, Such measures should be based on periodical check-ups for both 22. Article 12.2 (a) outlines the need to take measures te reduce infant mortality and promote the healthy sexes; physical as well as psychological rehabilitative measures aimed at maintaining the functionality and development of infants and children. Subsequent international human rights instruments recognize that children and adolescents have the right to the autonomy of older persons; and attention and care for chronically and terminally ill persons, sparing them avoidable pain and enabling them to die with dignity. enjoyment of the highest standard of health and r access to facilities for the treatment of illness.?’ ith disabiliti The Convention on the Rights of the Child directs States to ensure access to essential health services General Comment for the child and his or her family, including pre- and of post-natal care for mothers. The Convention links these goals with ensuring access to child-friendly information about preventive and health-promoting behaviour and support to families and communities in Implementing these practices, Implementation of the principle of non-discrimination requires that girls, as well as boys, have equal access to adequate nutrition, safe environments, and physical as well as mental health services. There is a need to adopt right to physical 26. The Committee persons with 27. practice and children.?® Children with disabilities should be given the opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling and decent disabilities and mental In the in relation light of emerging parties should provide a safe and supportive environment for adolescents, that ensures the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their health, to build life-skills, to acquire appropriate — 17 18 Article 24.1 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. See World Health Assembly in the context of the health. Moreover, the intemational the recent measures to indigenous taken peoples,'? the law and by States Committee 19 Recent area ng! ntemational norms relevant to indigenous peoples include the | nvention No. 169 conceming Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (1989); articles 29 (c) and {d) and 30 of the Convention on the pe gh of the Child (1989); article 8 (j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), recommendi that States respect, preserve and States of its and care of life and to participate within their community. 23, 34 Indigenous peoples traditional practices affecting the health of children, particularly girls, including early marriage, female male paragraph Committee stresses the need to ensure that not only the public health sector but also private providers of health services and facilities comply with the principle of non-discrimination in relation to persons with disabilities. effective and appropriate measures to abolish harmful genital mutilation, preferential feeding reaffirms No. 5, which addresses the issue resolution WHA47.10, 1994, entitled "Matemal and child health and family planning: traditional Practices harmful to the health of women and children”. maintain knowledge, innovation a ractices of indigenous communities; conference on Agenda 21 of the United Nations Environment and Development (1992), in particular chapter 26; and Part |, Peon! 20, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (1993), un that States should take concerted positive s to ensure respect fo r all human rights of indigenous people, on the basis of non-discrimination. See also the preamble and article 3 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992); and article 10 (2) (e) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Rape ene Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (1994). During recent years an increasing number of States have changed their constitutions ed legislation recognizing specific rights of indigenous peoples. GENERAL COMMENTS AND STATEMENTS 35