|
International Charter of Rights |
|
|
|
|
The International Children's Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) has published a Charter of Rights for children with life-limiting or life threatening conditions, which they wish to see accepted and ratified by governments and health departments around the world.
The ICPCN Charter is to be launched to coincide with World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 11 October 2008. The theme of this day is "Palliative Care – A Human Right".
According to the United Nations Convention on the rights of the child, every child and young person has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health. Governments are also required to do everything in their power to ensure that they enjoy full and holistic development. Children have the right to be protected against abuse, neglect and all forms of ill-treatment.
In the spirit of the UN Convention, the ICPCN Charter sets out the international standard of support that is the right of all children living with life limiting and life threatening illnesses worldwide, and their families.
The Charter calls for all such children to receive appropriate palliative care – care whose main purpose is to relieve suffering, whether physical, spiritual or emotional, and to promote quality of life.
"A child who dies without receiving adequate pain control and symptom management has suffered abuse and an untreated HIV positive child is suffering neglect," according to Joan Marston, chair of the ICPCN.
Palliative care encompasses the entire family. It should begin at the time of diagnosis and continue alongside any curative treatment aimed at the disease. Should curative treatment fail, it is maintained through death and into bereavement for as long as it is needed.
The Charter calls for palliative care to be provided within the child's home or within an environment that is child-friendly. This care should be offered by professionals and caregivers who have undergone training in palliative care specific to the needs of children.
"Our fervent wish is that this Charter will prove to be a useful instrument for all those who campaign for the development of, or for improved hospice and palliative care services for children around the world," states Marston.
To date the ICPCN Charter has been translated into 17 different African and European languages which can be downloaded from the website at www.icpcn.org.uk
 Download the Charter of Rights [Adobe Acrobat PDF - 1.13 MB]
|