There are more children and young people today than at any other time in human history. Numbering 3.2 billion, they are the shapers and leaders of our global future. At the same time, they are also a demographic who have been historically overlooked, with little investment in their health and well-being. 

The highest proportion of children and young people today, and the areas where population growth is highest, is in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where barriers to their development and wellbeing are also the highest. 

Children and young people often lack access to the tools, information, and health services to prevent or mitigate disease and develop to their full potential. Much of these barriers are due to a lack of investment and unmet medical needs. Therefore, the need for biomedical and digital health research and its implementation to support vulnerable children and young people is more urgent than ever. 

BRCCH

Launched in 2019, the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) aims to drive innovative health research that benefits children and adolescents globally – especially those living in low- or middle-income countries. Within this centre, the University of Basel and ETH Zurich work in partnership with the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH).

Since its establishment, BRCCH has grown to more than 400 participating scientists, including international colleagues from 26 countries. Researchers from the four institutions connected to BRCCH have launched some 29 multidisciplinary and inter-institutional projects, ranging from basic research to the implementation of such research in paediatrics and public health. 

More information: https://brc.ch/

Fondation Botnar initially committed to supporting the BRCCH with CHF 100 million. In March 2020, the BRCCH received an additional CHF 15 million by Fondation Botnar to establish an emergency research call for projects to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its unprecedented global health challenges. In August 2023, Fondation Botnar provided an additional CHF 50 million to the BRCCH, enabling the creation of six new professorships with a research focus on paediatric digital health. This contribution brings the total support provided by Fondation Botnar to the BRCCH to CHF 165 million until 2032.