The Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) is calling on the government, the public, and parents to fulfill children's right to health on World Children's Day.
"Children's right to health, as stated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, is not only freedom from disease, but also includes the right to grow and develop optimally," said the Chairman of the IDAI Central Board, Dr. dr. Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, SpA, SubspKardio(K) in his press statement on Thursday.
He said that children's rights to health include the right to receive quality health services, the right to adequate nutritional intake, and the right to a safe and clean environment.
"And the right to have their opinions heard in matters that affect their lives, including health," he said.
IDAI stated that the challenges to achieving child health in Indonesia remain complex, encompassing issues of nutrition and stunting, immunization, non-communicable diseases, mental health and psychosocial well-being, as well as violence and exploitation of children.
To help address nutrition and stunting issues, IDAI educates parents and health workers about the importance of meeting nutritional needs in the first 1,000 days of life, as well as providing exclusive breastfeeding and appropriate complementary foods.
In addition, IDAI actively supports the implementation of immunization programs and educates the public to avoid being influenced by hoaxes about immunization and campaigns for the implementation of a healthy lifestyle to prevent non-communicable diseases.
