CRC/C/MUS/CO/2
page 10
Health and health services
52.
Notwithstanding the various measures undertaken by the State party to develop
health-care services, antenatal and post-natal care and make them accessible for free to all, the
Committee remains concerned about:
53.
(a)
Regional disparities in accessibility to health services;
(b)
High infant mortality rates;
(c)
Infant and maternal malnutrition;
(d)
The sharp decrease in breastfeeding; and
(e)
Limited access to clean and safe drinking water in Rodrigues.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a)
Prioritize the allocations of financial and human resources to the health
sector in order to ensure equal access to quality health care by children in all areas of the
country;
(b)
Continue its efforts to improve prenatal care, including training programmes
for midwives and traditional birth attendants, and take all necessary measures to reduce
infant mortality rates, especially in rural areas;
(c)
Improve the nutritional status of infants, children and mothers;
(d)
Ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation in all areas of the
country and particularly in Rodrigues; and
(e)
Encourage exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months after birth with the
addition of an appropriate infant diet thereafter.
Adolescent health
54.
The Committee is concerned about the high rate of teenage pregnancies and the limited
access to reproductive health services for adolescents.
55.
The Committee recommends that the State party, taking into account its general
comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and development in the context of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC/GC/2003/4):
(a)
Strengthen its efforts to ensure access to reproductive health services for all
adolescents;
(b)
Incorporate reproductive health education in the school curriculum;