Ensuring every girl has access to healthcare
11 October – International Day of the Girl - From birth through adolescence, every girl should be able to grow up healthy, with dignity and in safety.
Yet in many parts of the world, access to healthcare remains more a privilege than a right.
Girls are born with the same thirst for air, the same light in their eyes. Yet too often, they are taught to be silent before they even learn to speak.
Growing up healthy: a right that remains fragile
From birth through adolescence, every girl should have the opportunity to grow up healthy, with dignity and in safety.
Yet in many parts of the world, access to healthcare remains more a privilege than a right. Poverty, discrimination, violence and a lack of infrastructure continue to hinder the path of those who should simply be able to grow.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these inequalities undermine girls’ physical, mental and social health, leaving deep and lasting marks on their future.
From their earliest years, some girls do not receive the medical care they need. Later, taboos surrounding the female body still limit access to health education and adequate hygiene. A lack of reliable information about puberty or menstruation often feeds fear, shame or isolation.
Ensuring every girl has access to healthcare
During adolescence, other challenges emerge: reproductive and mental health, nutrition, violence, early marriage, access to contraception and HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccination.
The WHO calls for every girl to have access to affordable and confidential care, to science-based health education, to psychological support and to active prevention of violence.
At the Queen Fabiola University Children’s Hospital (HUDERF), part of the University Hospital of Brussels (H.U.B.), these priorities are deeply rooted in our mission.
Offering every young patient compassionate, preventive and comprehensive care is our concrete way of defending this universal right — the right to be treated, heard and understood.
Our teams are committed to informing, supporting and accompanying girls at every stage of their health journey, working closely with families, schools and community partners.
Guaranteeing girls’ health means giving them the power to write their own stories — free, confident and in good health.