CRC/C/15/Add.112 page 7 adequate procedures and mechanisms to deal effectively with complaints of child abuse should be reinforced in order to provide children with prompt access to justice and that the use of corporal punishment at home, in schools and other institutions, be explicitly prohibited by law. Furthermore, educational programmes should be established to combat traditional attitudes within society regarding this issue. The Committee encourages the State party to consider seeking international cooperation to this effect from, inter alia, UNICEF and international non-governmental organizations. D.6. Basic health and welfare 26. With regard to the measures taken to improve the health standards of children, in particular initiatives to the reduce infant mortality, the Committee remains concerned at the persistence of regional disparities in access to health care, at the high rates of malnutrition among children under five years of age and those of school age, especially in rural and remote areas and among children belonging to indigenous groups. The Committee recommends that the State party continue taking effective measures to ensure access to basic health care and services for all children. More concerted efforts need to be taken to guarantee equal access to health care and to combat malnutrition, with special emphasis on children belonging to indigenous groups and children living in rural and remote areas. 27. While welcoming the State partys initiatives and programmes in the field of adolescent health, in particular those of the National Programme of Prevention to Adolescent Mothers and the National Council for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS (CONASIDA), the Committee remains concerned at the high teenage maternal mortality rate and the high number of teenage pregnancies. The Committee recommends that the State party continue its efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and that it take into consideration the recommendations adopted by the Committee on its day of general discussion on Children living in a world of HIV/AIDS (CRC/C/80). The Committee also recommends that further efforts be undertaken for the development of child-friendly counselling services and of care and rehabilitation facilities for adolescents. D.7. Education, leisure and cultural activities 28. While the Committee notes with appreciation the State partys achievements in the field of education, it remains concerned about the high drop-out and repetition rates in primary and secondary schools, and the disparities in access to education between rural and urban areas. The Committee is particularly concerned about the situation of children belonging to indigenous groups regarding their access to education and the low relevance of the current bilingual educational programmes available for them. In the light of articles 28, 29 and other related articles of the Convention, the Committee recommends that the State party continue its efforts in the field of education by strengthening its educational policies and system in order to reduce regional disparities in access to education and to strengthen ongoing retention programmes and vocational training for drop-out students. The Committee also recommends that the State party continue taking effective measures to improve the educational situation of children belonging to the most vulnerable groups, in particular, with regard to bilingual education programmes for children belonging to indigenous