Education | July 16th, 2026

White Paper: Promoting Child Health Through Research and Innovation

A Key Priority for Europe

Europe cannot achieve healthy ageing, sustainable economic growth, or global leadership in health innovation without investing in child health. The evidence is clear: The foundations of lifelong health are established in early life, yet child and adolescent health remains significantly underrepresented in EU research funding.

This white paper, developed by five leading European paediatric societies, calls on EU institutions and policymakers to place child health at the heart of the next generation of European research and innovation programmes. It demonstrates why investing in paediatric research is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic investment in Europe's future competitiveness, resilience, and prosperity.

The paper sets out evidence-based recommendations to strengthen child health research, accelerate innovation, improve access to medicines and medical technologies for children, and embed a life-course approach within EU health policy. It urges decision-makers to ensure that future research funding reflects the importance of the nearly 80 million children and adolescents who represent 100% of Europe's future.

Read the white paper to explore the evidence and the policy actions needed to make child health a central pillar of Europe's research and innovation agenda.