Around 14 million children and young people live in Germany. Fortunately, most of them are able to lead a healthy life. However, the number of children and young people with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes or obesity has been on the rise for years, and the prevalence of mental health problems in childhood and adolescence is also increasing every year. Many of these conditions can significantly affect the quality of life and lead to lifelong morbidity. This presents a challenge to the healthcare system, as the affected individuals are often dependent on medical care for the rest of their lives.

There are also children and young people who suffer from rare diseases. There are often no suitable forms of diagnosis or therapy for them, as it frequently takes months or even years before a rare disease is identified. Genomic studies play a particularly important role in researching rare diseases, paving the way for personalized precision medicine. However, the search for the genetic causes of rare diseases is often like looking for a needle in a haystack.

The development of specific drugs tailored to children and adolescents also represents a scientific and regulatory challenge. Children were excluded from clinical research for a long time, but the results on the mechanisms of action in adult patients cannot simply be transferred to children and adolescents.

Pediatric and adolescent medicine must face these challenges in order to ensure comprehensive and high-quality care for young patients. Medical innovations must also be implemented more quickly in medical practice so that they benefit the entire population, including vulnerable groups, at all levels of medical care. This is what the ZSEG is committed to – we stand up for a healthy future for our children and young people!