More than 30 years since its creation, Penta is today one of the most prominent scientific organizations dedicated to paediatric research. We are a global, independent, scientific collaboration devoted to determining and implementing the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases in children
Our vision is to be at the forefront of clinical science that improves prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infections in children
Our mission is to build a global network that conducts excellent research to help health systems achieve optimal outcomes for children
We support research that seeks to better understand both the dynamics of transmission and how to get optimal health outcomes for pregnant women and children
Our scientific priorities are:
- HIV & viral infection
- Severe sepsis and antimicrobial resistance
- Infection in pregnancy
- Neglected or emerging childhood infection
- Respiratory infections
Our objectives
- To create a vibrant network of experts and investigators generating solutions for children’s health, notably infections
- To develop impactful research on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infections in children
- To deliver training and education for clinical providers and researchers that ensures high quality of care and research
- To form partnerships that collaborate to drive research agendas and deliver impact
- To facilitate a healthy pipeline of young investigators and inspire a new generation of leading researchers in paediatric infectious diseases
Our stakeholders
The Penta ID Network is central to everything we do at Penta. Utilizing the skills, experience and expertise of all our Network members, Penta develops and delivers world class research and training to drive understanding and practice related to infections in children
Our history
Thirty years ago, Penta started with a shared passion of like-minded scientists who wanted to ensure that children were not left behind in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Today, that idea has not only spread around the globe; it has birthed other interventions beyond HIV.
The Paediatric European Network for Treatment of AIDS (PENTA) was established in 1991 as a collaboration between paediatric HIV centres in Europe. The primary aim of the Network was to undertake independent clinical trials to address specific questions about antiretroviral therapies in children living with HIV. Over time, as the Network started to grow beyond HIV clinical trials and observational studies, Penta became an ideal platform to generate, develop and support research and training activities – and thus the Penta Foundation was born.
Recognising that other infections in children were similarly neglected, in 2011, Penta evolved into Penta ID (Infectious Diseases), extending its research to other paediatric infectious diseases. With the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance – Penta has since built an ambitious and unique agenda to tackle antimicrobial resistance, developing prevention and treatment strategies for children and newborns. In 2021 the fight against COVID-19 became an important focus for us; as central to our scientific strategy, we pulled together our Network members and collaborators to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on children and mothers’ health.
We believe that only through joining our resources and experience can we advance our knowledge and inform strategies for virus control. As we continue to accelerate towards truly becoming the reference in child health research, we’ll keep being guided by the values and behaviours that underpin everything we do.
