A/HRC/33/23 hospitals contravene well-established norms international humanitarian law, including customary norms, and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. 79. Attacks on health workers, particularly those conducting vaccination campaigns can have a direct impact on child mortality, because immunization continues to be one of the best ways to ensure child survival. As noted in the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (A/HRC/22/31 and Corr.1), ensuring access to the full schedule of childhood immunizations recommended by WHO is critical to the prevention of an expanding array of illnesses, as well as to diseases that may emerge later in life. 80. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 27 a total of 89,873 children could not be vaccinated during the December 2015 sub-national immunization days in Afghanistan. Over the past decade, the Taliban released several statements in support of the polio eradication programme. For example, on 13 May 2013, the Taliban issued a public statement expressing support for polio vaccination campaigns with a caveat that campaigns must be led by Afghan personnel and respect Islamic values. In 2015, however, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, WHO and UNICEF documented 22 incidents directly affecting vaccination campaigns attributed mainly to anti-government elements including the Taliban. The reported incidents included killing, maiming and abduction of vaccinators, threats and intimidation against them, as well as destruction of vaccination kits. Attacks on polio vaccinators have also been documented in Pakistan and Nigeria. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative warns that persistent attacks against polio vaccinators put an enormous strain on efforts to halt transmission rates. VII. Next steps 81. While every newborn, infant and under-5 death can be attributed to a medical cause, the underlying reasons why children die cannot be explained from a medical perspective only. Many factors increase the risk of a child dying, including marginalization, poverty, discrimination, inequalities and a lack of education and health-care knowledge of caregivers. Children also die because of failures to maintain health systems that are accessible, available, affordable, acceptable and of quality and because of violence, conflict and insecurity. 82. Child deaths will only be eradicated if the root causes leading to inequalities are targeted. Hence, the importance and added value of a human rights-based approach. The technical guidance has made a major contribution to bringing human rights perspectives to the centre of public health discussions related to newborn, infant and under-5 health. Yet, implementing human rights-based approaches requires extensive and sustained engagement, commitment and adequate resources. Legislative, policy and programme reforms, behaviour change among duty bearers and empowerment of rights holders are long-term processes. 83. Dialogue and capacity-building with different stakeholders in the area of prevention of child mortality has been initiated but needs further strengthening and resources. That work should continue, in cooperation with Member States, on the understanding that realization of the right of the child to health is a shared responsibility of both developed and non-developed countries. Next steps include documenting good practices on the practical 27 GE.16-11320 United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, “Education and Health Care at Risk”, April 2016. See http://unama.unmissions.org/un-chief-afghanistan-do-more-now-protect-civilians-unamareleases-civilian-casualty-data-first. 17