Health rights of children in India

Source: The post “Health rights of children in India” has been created, based on “Respect the health rights of India’s children” published in “The Hindu” on 25 October 2025. Health rights of children in India.

UPSC Syllabus: GS Paper -2- Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Introduction: Recent deaths of children due to contaminated cough syrups in India and abroad have revealed serious problems in paediatric drug regulation. Ensuring child health and safety is a constitutional obligation under Article 39(f) and Article 47 of the Constitution of India.

Existing legal and policy framework

1. Constitutional guarantees: Article 21, Article 39(f), and Article 47 uphold children’s rights to life, development and good health.
2. Policy protection: The National Policy for Children 1974 and the National Plan of Action for Children 2016 aim to create comprehensive child health safeguards.
3. Supporting legislation: Acts such as the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and the CDSCO drug regulations strengthen legal oversight.
4. Implementation gap: Poor execution of laws and policies weakens their effectiveness in ensuring child health rights.

Significance of protecting child health

1. Large child population: Children constitute nearly 39 percent of India’s population, making their health essential for national development.
2. Higher vulnerability: Children are physiologically more vulnerable and depend entirely on adults, which increases risk from unsafe medicines.
3. Constitutional responsibility: The Directive Principles clearly recognise that safeguarding child health is a core responsibility of the Indian State.

Issues and Challenges

1. Weak regulatory enforcement: CDSCO and state drug authorities conduct insufficient checks, which allows poor-quality medicines to enter the supply chain.
2. Lack of paediatric formulations: Children often receive adult dosages because child-specific medicines are scarce, leading to the idea of children as “therapeutic orphans.”
3. Incorrect dosage practices: Clear paediatric dosage guidelines are not widely followed, which results in accidental overdoses and severe side effects.
4. Poor pharmacovigilance: Adverse drug reactions are not effectively monitored, particularly in rural areas and small retail outlets.
5. Restricted access for the poor: Financial constraints prevent many families from accessing quality healthcare and medicines for their children.
6. Low awareness among caregivers: Limited knowledge among parents and pharmacists regarding safe drug use increases preventable health risks.
7. Global reputation risk: India’s pharmaceutical credibility was damaged when the WHO linked exported cough syrups to child deaths in Gambia, Uzbekistan and Cameroon.

Way Forward

1. Strengthen institutional regulation: Drug surveillance and quality checks must be intensified across manufacturing and distribution systems.
2. Mandate child-specific trials: Clinical testing and accurate paediatric labelling must be compulsory to ensure safety.
3. Expand essential medicines list: Child-friendly formulations must be included widely to increase availability and affordability.
4. Control over-the-counter sales: Strict regulation of paediatric drugs is required to prevent misuse and antimicrobial resistance.
5. Improve knowledge and training: Pharmacists and caregivers must be educated on proper medicine usage to reduce risks of mismanagement.
6. Support for vulnerable families: Public health financing must assist poor households to ensure equitable access to necessary medicines.
7. Set strict accountability standards: Penal actions must be firmly applied against manufacturers producing and exporting contaminated drugs.

Conclusion: India must ensure safe, regulated and accessible paediatric medicines to protect children’s health and dignity. Strong enforcement, informed stakeholders, and equitable access will uphold children’s health rights as mandated by the Constitution.

Question: Protection of child health is a constitutional and ethical obligation. Discuss India’s progress in safeguarding the health rights of children and highlight the steps required to strengthen accountability.