The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health – or simply “the right to health” – is explicitly formulated in an array of international law instruments, of which most Central Asian states are part. These instruments define states’ obligation to provide healthcare services for all, without discrimination based on health status, ethnicity, age, sex, disability, language, religion, national origin, income, social status or any other characteristic.

Introduction: The background paper presented here is based on findings from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study. The HBSC research network is an international, multidisciplinary alliance of researchers working together since 1982. In 2005/6, 41 countries and regions in Europe and North America collected data as part of the HBSC Study. The overall aim of the study is to gain new insights and increase understanding of adolescent health behaviour.

The international community has identified migrant health as a priority area. There is increasing evidence that migrant communities access and use of health care services differently that do host populations and that migrant status is associated with compromised access to healthcare. The health of urban migrants in Nairobi is a particularly important issue, as it is estimated that 500 new migrants arrive in the Eastleight area of NAirobi each week.

In the context of migration of children, how do hospitals and health services respond to the needs and rights of children within the wider framework of child protection and healthcare provision? This paper deals with the response of hospitals and healthcare services to the right of migrant children to healthcare in relation to the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the holistic concept of health.

Abstract