Reactive Advocacy

Our ‘reactive advocacy’ work enables responses to emerging issues in global child health taking place over shorter time frames. This has covered:

Joint ICHG and ISSOP Statement on Israel - Gaza, UNRWA funding, and the orders of the International Court of Justice 17th February 2024

ICHG and ISSOP issued another statement calling for the immediate reinstatement of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by the UK and other donor governments. The suspension of funding, including by the UK, USA, France, Germany, and others, is deemed potentially disastrous for the health and well-being of children in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The ICHG emphasizes the critical role of UNRWA in providing essential services for child health and highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. The statement calls for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages, and unhindered humanitarian aid access, emphasizing that UNRWA is the only organization capable of large-scale healthcare and education provision in the region. The ICHG urges donor countries to prioritize evidence-based humanitarian assistance free from political motivations, stressing the importance of protecting the life and rights of children in the conflict.

Paediatricians call on UK Government to reverse international aid cuts this World Children's Day 19th November 2023

ICHG and RCPCH issued a joint statement ahead of the UK Global Nutrition Summit on World Children's Day, November 20, 2023, urging the UK to reclaim its position as a frontrunner in global nutrition efforts. The statement emphasised the importance of reinstating the commitment to allocate at least 0.7% of Gross National Income on overseas development assistance (ODA), reiterating its critical role in addressing global and regional nutrition challenges. Additionally, the statement called for collaborative endeavors with bilateral, multilateral, and philanthropic partners to amplify the much-needed funding for nutrition programs. This collective call to action underscored the urgency of addressing global nutrition needs and urged the UK to play a pivotal role in spearheading these efforts.

ICHG and ISSOP joint statement on the Israel-Gaza conflict 

The ICHG issued a statement in collaboration with the International Society for Social Paediatrics and Child Health (ISSOP) regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. The statement underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis, emphasizing the devastating impact of the conflict on children and calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. It stresses the importance of upholding international humanitarian law and ensuring the protection of child rights in the region.

Template Letter to MPs - Housing Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in Hotels 15th February 2023

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read, retweet and share the ICHG and RCPCH Joint Statement on Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in unfit Home Office run hotel accommodation, published at the end of last week, highlighting the dangerous practice of housing UASC in Home Office run hotels.

Despite multiple calls for the government to halt this dangerous practice, from child health professionals, charities and advocacy groups, no end date has been announced.  With 400 UASC having been reported missing since 2021 and 200 still unaccounted for, these children remain vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and trafficking every day that this policy continues.

Housing Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children in Hotels - Joint Statement of the International Child Health Group (ICHG) and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 10th February 2023

Despite the undeniable legal duty of care, the Home Office has systematically failed unaccompanied asylum-seeking children housed in hotels in the south of England. Thousands of unaccompanied children have been placed in hotel accommodation since July 2021, despite repeated calls to end this practice due to the associated safeguarding risks and health harms. This joint statement written with RCPCH calls on the UK Government to end the practice of accommodating asylum seeking children in hotels, protect local authority resourcing to meet the needs of vulnerable children, adhere to national legal safeguarding frameworks, ensure the National Transfer Scheme is child-centred and trauma-informed and launch an independent inquiry into cases of missing children under Home Office funded hotels.

ICHG Advocacy position Statement - Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis 18th August 2021

ICHG Position Statement in response to the evolving humanitarian situation in Afghanistan in August. Now is not a time to turn our backs on the children of Afghanistan. Both an increase in aid funding and mechanisms for safe refugee passage are urgently needed.

Joint Statement of the International Child Health Group (ICHG), Faculty of Public Health Global Health Committee and the Faculty of Public Health Yemen Special Interest Group 20th March 2021

The government's decision to halve total aid spending to Yemen during the world’s ‘worst humanitarian crisis in decades’ is, in the words of the UN secretary general, a ‘death sentence’. Preventing children from starving to death is the absolute minimum that could be expected from the most powerful governments in the world at this time of crisis. We believe the UK should be demonstrating leadership at this time.

ICHG Advocacy position statement: The Nationality and Borders bill

The UK was one of the founding signatories of the 1951 Refugee convention, an instrument which has protected the rights of refugees around the world ever since. This now risks being undermined by the legislation in the Nationality and Borders Bill which creates a 2 tier system and effectively criminalises refugees based on their mode of arrival.

ICHG Advocacy position statement on the transfer of asylum-seekers under the UK-Rwanda arrangement

We are profoundly disappointed and concerned by the decision of the UK government to proceed with plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda and externalise its fundamental obligations to people seeking asylum in the UK. The plans actively undermine the UN Refugee Convention which the UK contributed to creating after the second World War and is signatory to, and sets a negative precedent for the respect of the rights of refugees worldwide. As paediatricians, we wish to draw attention to the significant harm posed to children by this policy, either through being deported themselves, since children are not explicitly excluded and maybe be mistaken as adults during inaccurate age assessments, or due to separation from deported family members.

COVID-19

What do children across the world make of the COVID-19 pandemic? A Children’s Priority Focus project

The health and well-being of children is being given insufficient priority during this pandemic. ICHG has produced this video to bring together children’s voices around the globe, letting us know what they think. A big thank you to all the children that starred in this video!

ICHG Statement on Sharing COVID-19 Vaccines and Patent Waiver 7th May 2021

We call on the UK government to immediately share the UK’s Covid-19 vaccines where they are needed most, and support India’s request to remove Intellectual Property barriers to COVID-19 tool production. It is not right that while other countries face vaccine shortages amidst rapidly increasing deaths rates, we in the UK are planning to vaccinate low risk people during a waning epidemic, before sharing them.

ICHG + RCPCH Global COVID-19 Advocacy Statement 5th October 2020

Mothers, newborns and children, especially in the poorest countries, are suffering significant indirect impacts on health and care as a result of COVID-19, with potentially long-term adverse effects. Despite direct effects on children from the COVID-19 virus being rare so far, the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide could be catastrophic for children, with considerable excess death and suffering.