Strong, Integrated Health and Social Protection Systems: Essential for achieving children’s rights

Children are being affected by multiple crises worldwide which are eroding their rights and exposing them to greater risks. These crises have led to an increase in poverty and inequity, food insecurity, morbidity, and mortality further taking away children’s and communities’ resilience to shocks. With an estimated 100 million people a year being pushed into poverty due to healthcare costs, only 1 in 4 children globally receives some kind of social protection benefit. This briefing paper draws out evidence that shows integrated social protection and social health approaches improve both access to health services and health outcomes. It provides examples of how improvements in social protection, through a plethora of approaches, progresses universal health coverage and improves access to health care for women, children and adolescents.

If Governments are to keep their commitments to make progress on health and social protection within the Sustainable Development Goals, more needs to be done to ensure all social protection measures can more effectively reach the people and communities most impacted by inequality and discrimination, including the poorest. This briefing calls for national governments, donors, multilateral organisations and global health institutions to take action for ensuring strong integrated health and social protection systems.