Health

For many children in the developing world, the chances of a healthy life are uncertain. One in five will die of a preventable illness before the age of five.

Plan's health-related programmes contribute towards securing the rights of children and young people to survival, development, protection and participation.

In order to respond to and address the changing health needs of children as they pass through different stages of development, Plan has adopted a life-cycle approach to health. Thus, health programmes are organised around the needs of children in the pre-school years, school-aged children, and adolescents and adults of reproductive age, especially women.

Children participate in identifying and addressing their health needs and advocating for their health rights appropriately to their evolving capabilities. Adolescents are, of course, able to play the fullest role in identifying and addressing their own health needs. Younger children, however, can often participate through the use of the child-to-child approach in schools.

Projects and case studies