The future of paediatric clinical trials – setting research priorities for child health

Overview

Despite significant reductions in under-five mortality over recent decades, progress has stalled, and children – especially newborns and infants – remain markedly underrepresented in clinical research. The limited number of clinical trials focused on this age group has resulted in persistent evidence gaps for essential interventions and treatments. In response, WHO has led a global research prioritization exercise to identify the most critical clinical trial questions in child health. This initiative aims to generate high-quality, policy-relevant evidence to inform guidelines, direct investment and ensure that clinical research is aligned with the greatest public health needs to improve survival, growth and development outcomes for children worldwide.