Friede Springer Endowed Professorship for Global Child Health to be expanded into WHO Collaborating Centre

The World Health Organization (WHO) has appointed the Friede Springer Endowed Professorship for Global Child Health at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H) as the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Child and Adolescent Health in Germany. The institutions were chosen for their high level of scientific and technical expertise as well as their international recognition. They provide significant support to the World Health Organization's programmes - primarily through targeted research, training and technical cooperation.

A milestone for global child health

"The appointment is a great recognition of our work over the last few years," says Prof Dr Ralf Weigel, holder of the Friede Springer Endowed Professorship for Global Child Health. "It shows that evidence-based, practice-oriented research from Germany can have a global impact - especially in an area that is crucial for the future of our society. The health of our children and young people deserves and requires the attention and efforts of us all - and must not be forgotten in the midst of major crises."

As a WHO Collaborating Centre, Prof. Weigel and his team will support research and training projects over the next four years that aim to improve primary care for young people in Europe. They will receive special financial support from the Friede Springer Foundation.

One of the main tasks will be to develop training materials for the compendium on primary care for children and adolescents recently published by the WHO and make them available on an online platform. The compendium was developed with the involvement of the UW/H and sets out minimum standards for primary care for children and adolescents that can be applied across the European region and beyond. The topics range from the diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses to the coordination of specialised care. An app is intended to further increase the compendium's reach; for example, it offers cross-references and dosage calculators for medicines. The learning platform to be created forms the basis for implementing the recommended measures at country level and is aimed not only at healthcare professionals, but also at parents and carers.

Networking research and practice worldwide

Other planned contributions of the endowed professorship range from analysing child mortality and vaccination status in Europe to surveying young people's perspectives on their healthcare. In addition, the development and implementation of the new European Child and Adolescent Health Strategy 2026 - 2030 will be scientifically supported. "The cooperation with the WHO gives us the opportunity to incorporate our knowledge directly into political and practical improvements," says Weigel. The collaboration will also further strengthen the global care of children and adolescents - especially in countries with limited resources. The working group at the UW/H has been working with the WHO and UNICEF since 2018 and is integrated into international networks. As a WHO Collaborating Centre, it engages even more closely than before with international partners, can deepen its research capacities and expertise, expand its range of courses, raise the profile of global child health and influence international priorities in this area.

Signalling effect beyond the university

The Governing Bodies and the Faculty of Health also see the appointment as an important step for the international positioning of the UW/H. "The fact that the WHO has chosen us as a partner for child and adolescent health shows the radiance of excellent research from Witten," emphasises UW/H President Prof. Dr Martin Butzlaff. "The endowed professorship combines scientific excellence with social responsibility - this is exactly what we aspire to as a university."

With this appointment, the WHO is sending a clear signal: global child health needs partners who combine science, practice and education. "Children are not little adults," says Weigel. "Children around the world have very specific health needs that need to be better understood and cared for accordingly," emphasises Dr Friede Springer.

Further information: The Friede Springer Endowed Professorship for Global Child Health was established at Witten/Herdecke University in 2017. It is dedicated to improving healthcare for children and young people worldwide and works closely with international organisations such as WHO and UNICEF.