3.1 Access to medical care

Immediate, survivor-centered medical care can prevent long-term physical harm and provide critical forensic documentation. 

All countries must work harder to ensure that free, quality medical care is available and accessible for children in all regions, as no country received full credit for this indicator. 

One-third of countries scored 75 out of 100, indicating that many children and adolescents have access to free high-quality health care and forensic evidence collection following sexual violence, but that gaps remain such as in access in rural areas.

 Most countries scored between 25 and 50 out of 100, highlighting significant gaps such as fees, quality concerns, or coverage.

Indicator	What it measures	Why it matters	Score range
3.1 Medical care	Whether crisis centers or hospitals provide free examinations, testing, and treatment after sexual violence	A child who reports violence should be able to access a medical exam without cost or delay	0–4

How to interpret your country's score

3.1 Access to medical care (0–4)

0	Access to free medical care is severely limited. Services may exist only in major cities, lack evidence collection, or provide only basic testing.
1	Some free services exist but are very limited in reach or inconsistent in quality. Victims and survivors in rural areas may still face barriers.
2	Limited or partial free medical services are available in some areas and include some core components but important gaps remain. The service package is incomplete or inconsistently delivered, geographic coverage is uneven, and/or victims and survivors may be charged for certain examinations, tests or treatments.
3	Substantial access to core services but not universal. Comprehensive medical services are largely available and free at the point of use; these include medical examinations, forensic evidence collection and other related care. However, notable access gaps persist, such as in rural areas, service availability or timeliness, or indirect costs may remain.
4	Government-funded, free and comprehensive medical services are available nationwide. Victims and survivors can access clinical examinations, forensic evidence collection, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), emergency contraception, injury care, and follow-up services without significant barriers or out-of-pocket costs.

 

External Story

February 20, 2026

Screening for Sexual Violence Against Children (opens in a new tab)

A pilot screening program to connect children who experience sexual violence with response services.

via Safe Futures Hub

From indicators to budget lines

Use this as a guide to strengthen your advocacy requests and create targeted ‘asks’ to decision-makers within the right Ministry (for example: Foreign Affairs, Social Welfare, or Finance)

Indicator	What it tracks	Budget-line-to target	Template language
3.1 Access to Medical Care	Whether crisis centers and hospitals provide free examinations, testing, and treatment of children who experience sexual violence	Ministry of Health: specialized services, forensic medical units, one-stop centers, fee waivers for sexual violence against children-related care	"Allocate [amount] to establish/maintain [number] child-friendly medical examination centers with trained staff and free services for children who experience sexual violence."

How to put a number on your ask

Break your ask into building blocks a Finance Ministry would recognize. Even a rough component-based estimate signals seriousness:

Indicator	Examples of components to estimate
3.1 Access to Medical Care	Child-friendly examination centers; forensic medical units and equipment; trained staff recruitment and retention; fee waiver administration; medical supplies

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Third Richest Nation

www.bravemovement.org/campaigns/third-richest-nation

A world without childhood violence would be $7 trillion richer. This nation isn’t real. Its wealth could be. Brave Movement's survivor-led advocacy campaign at the G20 in 2025 pressured decision makers to invest in prevention, healing and justice to create stronger, happier nations.

#BeBrave G7 Scorecard 2025

www.bravemovement.org/g7

By evaluating each G7 nation’s progress on vital policy measures we're drawing global attention to the global, silent pandemic of sexual violence against children. This is a crisis that undermines the G7's commitment to building secure, prosperous, and equitable societies. Kids need bold leadership and decisive action now to be safe and thrive.

Break the record

www.togetherforgirls.org/en/press/a-record-breaking-event-now-governments-must-deliver

We broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the most countries represented at a childhood violence summit! With 120 governments attending, this first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children was the largest organized event to address this issue on a global scale. Most importantly, as a result, we also broke the world’s record of inaction against childhood sexual violence.