CRC/C/SRB/CO/1
page 13
53.
The Committee recommends that the State party promote exclusive breastfeeding
for the first 6 months and strengthen the monitoring capacity for the implementation of the
International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. The Committee also
recommends that increased attention be placed on setting up baby friendly hospitals as a
priority.
Adolescent health
54.
The Committee welcomes the recent laws and strategies and the increased awarenessraising efforts of the State party to protect adolescents, including through the adoption of the new
Law on Health Care and Law on Health Insurance. The Committee is concerned at the absence
of a comprehensive national strategy or systemic responses for adolescent health and at the
extremely high rate of teenage pregnancies. The Committee is also concerned that children’s
right to privacy may not be fully respected in schools and health system, particularly in medical
check ups and treatments and that a comprehensive mental health policy does not exist.
55.
The Committee recommends that the State Party, while taking into account the
Committee’s general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and development in the
context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child:
(a)
Enhance its efforts to address adolescent health issues and to ensure that the
programmes for adolescent health are effectively implemented, including through the
provision of adequate resources;
(b)
Ensure that adolescents have access to child-sensitive and confidential
counselling services;
(c)
Take all possible measures to guarantee the conditions for respecting the
right to privacy for children;
(d)
Develop a comprehensive child and adolescent mental health policy which
includes all obligatory components, as recommended by WHO, inter alia regarding mental
health promotion activities, prevention of mental disorders in primary health care,
outpatient and inpatient services for emotional and mental disorders to reduce rates of
suicides and institutionalization.
Drug, tobacco, alcohol and other substances use
56.
The Committee notes that the State party has taken measures to criminalize trafficking of
illegal substances. The Committee remains concerned at the high incidence of drug, tobacco,
alcohol and other toxic substances use among children.
57.
The Committee recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to
address the use of illicit substances, alcohol and tobacco by children, inter alia by providing
children with accurate and objective information on toxic substances and tobacco use, and
that it provide support to those attempting to abandon their use or dependency.
Standard of living
58.
The Committee notes that many families live in economic hardship with about 10 per
cent living below the official poverty line and enduring deprivations of basic services. The