Children’s Rights in Healthcare

Covid-19 was present in our society for a long time and a lot of Children’s Rights were neglected.

The JOY platform was born in July 2020 as an initiative of the Belgian Pediatric Covid-19 Task Force and many partners.

With JOY we want to offer a positive counterbalance by focusing on the importance and the benefits of adequate development, in all its aspects, for children and young people in their growth towards the healthiest and happiest possible adulthood.

This requires that children and young people be given a face and a voice in Healthcare-decisions.

Professional cooperation and joining forces of all institutions concerned with children and young people is crucial.

Objectives

The aim is to set up a long-term campaign in Belgium’s three official languages, and to raise awareness on Children’s Rights in general and more specific in Healthcare. We want to keep the rights and welfare of children at the centre of every decision at every level.
For this purpose, our JOY logo can be used by anyone via the logo tool to spread the voice and make the awareness of children and young people widely visible in our society.

Let’s continue the fruitfull cooperation started during the Covid-19 period in a sustainable way.

Because children and young people are our future!

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Members
Stéphane Moniotte

Vice- president, Head of Paediatric Department, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL)

Pierre Philippet

Treasurer, President of the Groupement Belge des Pédiatres Francophones (GBPF)

Tyl Jonckheer

Secretary, President of the Belgian Professional Association of Paediatricians ( VBS/GBS)

Anna Bael

Board Member, President of the Vlaamse Vereniging voor Kindergeneeskunde (VVK)

Gunnar Buyse

Board Member, Head of Paediatric Department, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL)

Achievements 2022

The Commission of Health and Equal Opportunities advises the parliament in adjustments to legislation. A resolution was drafted to amend the Patients’ Rights Act (dated 2002).
On Monday 5/12/2022, as the BAOP- president, together with Jeroen Verlinden (Representative paediatric nurses association and Joy-Platform) we advocated for embedding children’s rights in this law. Attached, you can find the powerpoint we presented, as well as the full recording of the hearing comission.

This intervention resulted in an amendment of the resolution:

“Pay particular attention to the position of minor patients and (the implementation of) their rights in the healthcare system and their interaction with healthcare providers.”