Rights, justice, and equity: a global agenda for child health and wellbeing.

Abstract

Worldwide challenges to child health and wellbeing are rapidly becoming existential threats to children and childhood. Inequities, armed conflict and violence, nuclear proliferation, forced migration, globalisation, and climate change are among the global issues violating children's rights to optimal survival and development. Child rights-based approaches will be required to enhance the response to the civil-political, social, economic, and cultural determinants of these global child health issues. In this Viewpoint, we present a global agenda for child health and wellbeing as a blueprint for the practice of paediatrics and child health in the domains of clinical care, systems development, and policy formulation. This global agenda is grounded in the principles of rights, justice, and equity and can address the root-cause determinants of health. The 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a relevant moment to recommit to shared goals for children's health and wellbeing.