US Department of Health & Human Services Doubles Funding for AI-Driven Childhood Cancer Research

The move is aimed at strengthening data-driven efforts to improve diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies in paediatric cancer.

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a doubling of funding for its Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), increasing the budget from $50 million to $100 million.

The move is aimed at strengthening data-driven efforts to improve diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies in paediatric cancer.

The initiative, originally launched by President Trump in 2019, will now expand its scope with private-sector partners to apply artificial intelligence in accelerating cures for childhood cancer. At the White House event marking the announcement, President Trump signed the executive order titled Unlocking Cures for Paediatric Cancer with Artificial Intelligence.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Anthony Letai joined the president in underlining the federal commitment.

“For too long, families have fought childhood cancer while our systems lagged,” said Secretary Kennedy. “President Trump is changing that. We will harness American innovation in artificial intelligence to find cures for paediatric cancer.”

“We are dedicated to using every innovative method and technology at our disposal in our fight against childhood cancer,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. “By doubling down on this mission with AI, we are ensuring that state-of-the-art science is being leveraged to provide answers about these diseases that would otherwise be out of reach.”

Strengthening National Cancer Programs

NCI Director Anthony Letai, who assumed office on September 29, emphasized the expanded research focus: “Our efforts have helped us learn from every child and better understand childhood cancer, reduce its risk, develop better treatments, and improve survivorship for children, teens and young adults with cancer. I cannot think of a better way to begin my tenure at NCI than to redouble our efforts to support our youngest patients and their families facing rare leukaemias and other cancers. We will not stop until childhood cancer is a thing of the past.”

According to HHS, the integration of AI will maximize the use of electronic health records and claims data to inform clinical trials and research. The department noted that parents will continue to control their child’s health information as the data is applied for patient and research benefits.

The funding boost aligns with the president’s Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Strategy Report, which calls for research to “harness AI to uncover causes, identify risks early, and take action in childhood and young adulthood to prevent cancer.” Childhood cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death among children in the United States, with incidence rising by over 40% since 1975.

Stay tuned for more such updates on Digital Health News