Children are especially vulnerable to illness and death, with the World Health Organization estimating that approximately 5.6 million children died before the age of five in 2016. The Pediatrics focus area of CIH^LMU is built on the conviction that significant improvements in child health outcomes can be achieved by effectively training and educating healthcare professionals. In addition, collaborative research plays a critical role in this mission, enabling the generation and application of context-specific evidence, fostering innovation, and building sustainable solutions through partnerships with institutions in high-burden settings:

A new cooperation has been established between Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital, Munich, LMU and Ola During Children’s Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone:

Ola During Children’s Hospital offers the country’s first pediatric specialty training program. Since 2021, there has been a close professional exchange with the Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital in Munich. 

A structured training program in pediatric ultrasound will now be offered at Hauner Children’s Hospital for colleagues from Sierra Leone, funded through Haunerverein:

A pediatric trainee from Sierra Leone will be invited to Munich for two weeks to complete this course: combining on-site and telemedical formats to deliver both sound theoretical knowledge and practical skills in pediatric ultrasound diagnostics. We see this cooperation as a valuable opportunity for mutual learning. The close exchange with colleagues from Sierra Leone provides us with new perspectives on disease patterns, clinical decision-making, and healthcare realities that differ significantly from ours. This dialogue generates new insights on our side as well — insights that feed directly into our clinical, educational, and scientific work at the Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, ultimately benefiting our patients in Munich, too.

In continutation of the collaboration with Ola During Children’s Hospital we aim to expand our research activities with a special focus on paediatric infectious diseases, especially on Tuberculosis and diarrhoeal diseases.

Diarrhoeal diseases

Diarrhoeal diseases continue to be a leading cause of illness and death among children under five, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Each year, diarrhoea is responsible for an estimated 443,832 child deaths worldwide, with the greatest impact seen in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

To better understand the largely undocumented burden of diarrhoeal disease in Sierra Leone, we will establish a collaborative research framework, embedded in the CIHLMU PhD program, bringing together researchers from Ola During Children’s Hospital and LMU paediatric ID specialists. Together, we will co-develop the research design, data collection methods, and analysis strategies to generate robust, contextually relevant insights that can inform local health interventions and policy.

Tuberculosis in children

We at the Hauner Children’s Hospital at LMU have a long-standing interest in pediatric TB. Recently, a new model of care – the Pediatric Migrant & Public health center Munich has been established to improve management of childhood TB and respective research through this local screening program for tuberculosis in minor refugees. Building on this experience, we are in the process to blend the Ola During Children's Hospital‘s and our knowledge into collaborative research in Sierra Leone, where the burden of pediatric tuberculosis is particularly high.