ANNUAL REPORT ON THE RESULTS OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA In the last year amendments the Law on Health Insurance of Republika Srpska were adopted 374 providing that 375 children below the age of 15 are considered to have mandatory insurance, as well as all school children and students until the end of their studies, but not after they reach 26 years of age. Ombudspersons welcome all legal solutions resulting in the improvement of the quality and availability of health care for all children, but they keep insising on the establishment of unconditional health care for all children up to 18 years of age, as recommended in the Special Report on conditions and problems facing social welfare centers/services in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 376 The quality and availability of health care significantly affects the quality of life of every child and the exercise of other rights. Ombudspersons emphasize that the health care system must be improved so that health services are available to every child in order to ensure the growth and development of children in accordance with their individual capacities and capabilities. Respecting the best interests of the child, international standards, but also domestic regulations, there is an obligation of both the parents and the state to ensure the child's right to health, i.e. the child must receive unconditional and adequate health care, which includes preventive and medical care, regardless of insurance or other status of their parents. Ombudspersons welcome the establishment of the Solidarity Fund for Diagnosis of Diseases, Conditions and Injuries of Children Abroad in the Republika Srpska, which has been established and is financed in accordance with a special law 377. This Fund was established in order to raise additional money for the diagnosis and treatment of children abroad, when this is not possible in health care institutions in the Republika Srpska, or in other health care institutions with which the Republic Health Insurance Fund has signed a contract. In 2019 this Fund financed treatment and diagnostics for 86 children 378. The funds of this Fund can be allocated to children up to 18 years of age. Having in mind the importance of immunization of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina 379, Ombudspersons called on the competent bodies 380 to furnish them with data on degree of immunization of children in 2018 and first four months in 2019. Having analyzed all the data received Ombudspersons can state that the high percentage of children is covered with vaccination, but all health practitioners should permanently be trained to engage in awareness raising on the importance of vaccination. 374 Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, no. 94/2019 Article 10.a 376 Recommendation addressed to the Government of the Republika Srpska, the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Government of the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the governments of the cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to propose appropriate legal solutions to the competent parliaments in order to provide unconditional and free of charge health care for all the children and persons older than 65 377 Law on Solidarity Fund for Diagnosis of Diseases, Conditions and Injuries of Children Abroad, Official Gazette of Republika Srpska, no. 100/2017. 378 Since its establishment the Fund funded treatment and diagnostics abroad for 149 children. Some of these treatments were extended multiple times 379 Ombudspersons opened an ex officio case Ž-BL-301/19 380 Public Health Institute of Republika Srpska, Public Health Institute of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Government of Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Health and Other Services Department 375 91