PFCD Fact Sheet: Building a Stronger Future Through Prevention and Innovation

Childhood health lays the foundation for lifelong health, influencing whether adults thrive or struggle with preventable disease.

A solid foundation in childhood creates healthier populations, stronger communities, and a more resilient nation while decreasing the burden on the U.S. health care system.

Using new research that will be featured in a broader analysis of medical and economic costs associated with chronic disease among adults, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease created a one-page fact sheet to capture the current state of health for US children and what lifestyle and treatment improvements could mean. Data shows that the U.S. is projected to spend $1.15 trillion over the next 15 years on chronic diseases occurring during childhood, such as asthma, cancers, and obesity.

This burden not only disadvantages children and their families, but adds costs for hospitals, schools, and workplaces alike. Prevention, better management, treatment advances, improved adherence and enhanced coverage all represent opportunities that could cut these costs by more than half while saving lives.

Children today face personal health challenges unique from ones their parents faced. For example, technology such as video games and social media provide mental stimulation for children that discourage physical activity. Given the prevalence of screen time, it’s no surprise that less than half of high school students meet activity guidelines. Policies that encourage physical activity are increasingly important in the fight for better health, particularly for children.

Social media also heightens risks of mental illness. One in five adolescents has a diagnosed mental or behavioral condition, most often anxiety. Among those needing mental health support, more than half report difficulty accessing essential treatment or counseling services.

Research and development to drive improvements in medical technology and other tools to prevent and manage chronic disease in children remain essential. Advances in childhood cancer treatments already show what is possible with the potential to save more than 10,000 additional lives. Innovation in prevention and chronic disease management could avert millions of future cases.

Policymakers have the opportunity and the responsibility to act. Prioritizing children’s health through sustained investment in research, development and innovation will save lives, reduce costs, and strengthen America’s future.

Childhood health is not merely about today.

It’s about every stage that follows.