Maternal and Child Health in Armed Conflicts

Two Recent Studies on South Sudan and Ukraine

Abstract

The right to health is a fundamental right for all human beings and under any circumstance, including in armed conflict. International instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights guarantee their legal protection universally, and the Geneva Convention and its Additional Protocols in the context of armed conflict. Women and children are one of the most affected and vulnerable groups. The right to maternal and child health is included in specific instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child or the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, in addition to other regional instruments. The right to maternal and child health during and after the war is clearly affected, increasing maternal, neonatal and infant mortality due to determinants of health affected by the conflict. The case of South Sudan and Ukraine is analyzed, providing data in this regard, as well as a comparative analysis. Humanitarian action aimed at this group is of vital importance to protect their right to health and their right to life.