Child health research funding and policy: imperatives and investments for a healthier world

Abstract

Although pediatric research enjoyed significant benefits during the National Institutes of Health (NIH) doubling era, the proportion of the NIH budget devoted to the pediatric-research portfolio has declined overall. In light of this declining support for pediatric biomedical research, the Federation of Pediatric Organizations held a topic symposium at the 2009 Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting as a forum for discussion of the past and future states of funding, the rationale for directing public funds toward the understanding of child health and disease, and new programs and paradigms for promoting child health research. This report of the symposium is intended to disseminate more broadly the information presented and conclusions discussed to encourage those in the child health research community to exert influence with policy makers to increase the allocation of national funding for this underfunded area.

FIGURE 1

NIH budget and pediatric-research portfolio, fiscal-year 1992–2009 (in billions)., Source: NIH Office of the Budget. Note: The NIH defines pediatric research as “studies in all categories of biomedical research (basic, clinical, epidemiologic, behavioral, prevention, treatment, diagnosis, as well as outcomes and health services) that relate to diseases, conditions, or the health/development of neonates, infants, children, and adolescents up to the age of 21. (Reproduced with permission from Gitterman DP, Hay WW Jr. Pediatr Res. 2008;64[5]:464.)

FIGURE 2

Investment in pediatric research to identify and treat adult-onset diseases in childhood leads to significant cost savings and reduced burden of disease (fiscal-year 2008 budget request witness appearance before the House and Senate Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations, Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, Director, NIH, March 6 and 19, 2007; Adapted from ref 8).