Now that the NIH ECHO Program is in its 9th year, it’s a good time to see how far we’ve come. ECHO continues to produce impactful research on the root causes of chronic childhood disease, including preterm birth, allergies and asthma, obesity, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and mental health challenges, among others. These causes may include what pregnant women and children eat, chemicals to which they are exposed, stress, and many other factors that ECHO researchers explore.

In its second 7-year cycle, the ECHO Cohort is enrolling pregnant women and their children in numbers even beyond what we projected. These new participants add to the potential impact of ECHO Cohort, already the largest longitudinal child health study in the U.S. The ECHO Cohort draws data from more than 130,000 participants, including more than 60,000 children, nationwide.

The ECHO IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN) has built the capacity to take on more and more complex issues, and its success is also reflected in the funding its sites have secured to address actionable research questions outside the Network’s own priority areas. The ECHO ISPCTN is the only NIH clinical trial network focused on children from rural or underserved communities, and some of its studies have already changed clinical practice in these areas.

I mention these accomplishments, in part, because they are aligned with the new administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” focus. ECHO plays a leading role in NIH research that “addresses the childhood chronic disease crisis.” In addition to pinpointing root causes, ECHO informs prevention of chronic conditions and promotes well-being among America’s children.

Thank you, as always, for helping us achieve ECHO’s mission to enhance the health of children for generations to come.