Vaccinate, breastfeed to avoid punishment

dubai — Failure to vaccinate and breastfeed your child is considered negligence in the UAE, a senior health official has said. “These are not options, but the rights of a child that start even before birth,” Dr Shahraban Abdulla, chairperson of the Dubai Health Authority’s Standing Child Protection Committee, told Khaleej Times in an exclusive interview.

Wadeema’s Law, which was passed in 2016, is the backbone of the committee that actively started its work from September 2018 at all medical entities across Dubai. These aspects of the law, however, are a protection for the future generations and do not aim for punishments unless it involves sexual or physical violence against a child.

According to another provision of the law, any person found smoking inside a car that has a child under 18 years in it can be reported to the police. “If you can talk to the person politely and explain that the smoke is harmful for his/her child, you can do that, or else take the car plate number and inform the police.”

dubai — Vaccinating and breastfeeding a child are not an option for parents, but a child’s right under UAE laws, a top official has clarified. Skipping vaccination or not breastfeeding the child is considered ‘neglect’.

“We want to make parents and the community at large aware of their responsibilities,” said Dr Shahraban Abdulla, chairperson of the Dubai Health Authority’s (DHA) Standing Child Protection Committee.

Wadeema’s Law, which was passed in 2016, is the backbone of the committee that actively started its work from September 2018 at all medical entities across Dubai. In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr Shahraban said that by law, nurses, doctors, social workers and teachers are mandated to report child abuse cases, even if it is just a suspicion.

“These cases could be physical, emotional, sexual or psychological abuse or even neglect. In our experience, most cases that we come across are of neglect,” she said. Dr Shahraban said an instance where a child has a chronic disease and the parents fail to give him/her adequate treatment and medication can also be considered neglect.

“In this regard, not having a child vaccinated is considered medical negligence because this falls under a human being’s civil rights and, subsequently, health rights,” said Dr Shahraban, who is also a consultant paediatric cardiologist at the Latifa Hospital.

A child’s right starts from antenatal care onwards. Under the Wadeema Law, the age of a child is defined from before birth to 18 years.

She referred to the recent resurgence of measles due to anti-vaccination campaigners. “There is no scientific proof that vaccines are linked to autism or have any other side effects, therefore, we consider vaccination a child’s right,” she said.

She also said that breastfeeding falls under the same gamut. “A mother cannot say no to breastfeeding unless there is a medical reason.” In Islam, the requirement is to breastfeed a child up to two years of age and for mothers who are working, there is a way of expressing their milk for their baby, she said. “We are aiming for a baby-friendly country and not breastfeeding a child is not an option,” said the doctor.

The law is, however, a protection for the future generations

There is no scientific proof that vaccines are linked to autism or have any other side effects, therefore, we consider vaccination a child’s right.”

Dr Shahraban Abdulla, Chairperson, Standing Child Protection Committee, DHA

and does not aim for punishments unless it is specifically found that there has been violence against a child. “That then becomes a police case,” said Dr Shahraban.

In many such cases, families need support that could be financial, psychological or even simple counselling. “We are trying to help here. Once such a case is brought to our

attention, we discuss and dig deeper through home visits or connecting them with groups, among other actions,” she explained.