About ICATCH

ICATCH stands for International Community Access to Child Health, and we have been providing small grants to pediatricians and other child health providers in low resource settings since 2007.

The ICATCH Team consists of more than 30 AAP member pediatricians from the US as well as Pakistan, South Africa, El Salvador, and Nigeria. In addition to providing modest funding of $2000 per year for 3 years (maximum $6000 total), we provide technical and mentoring support to grantees. 

A Brief History of ICATCH

Originally created in 2005 by a small group of global health pediatricians in the AAP’s Section on International Child Health (SOICH, now renamed Section on Global Health, SOGH), ICATCH has grown tremendously over the years.

ICATCH thrives thanks to the amazing work of our grantees and the very generous financial support from our fellow pediatricians and other individuals passionate about the health of children in need.

We gratefully acknowledge early support from employees of Epic, the pioneering healthcare software company, and the Magic Pebble Foundation of Wisconsin.

The first four ICATCH grants were awarded in 2007, for work in Pakistan, El Salvador, Philippines, and Uganda.  Now, we are able to fund 7 projects per year. 

We have funded about 100 programs in more than 40 countries. The ICATCH Team has grown from its small group founders to a dynamic team of 25 pediatricians from diverse specialties across the country, and even includes several international pediatrician members.

Our Diverse Group of Grantees and Their Wide-Ranging Accomplishments

ICATCH has funded proposals received from pediatricians; doctors in other fields such as dentistry, surgery, and family medicine; nurses; midwives; medical officers; physical therapists; and leaders in local health organizations.

These creative and experienced health providers and health educators have been able to accomplish remarkable outcomes with the limited funds available from ICATCH. 

Moreover, our grantees are able to pivot and keep going when needed, as when facing challenges to their work from Ebola, a tsunami, a major earthquake, political unrest, and now COVID-19.

Our grantees work across a broad range of healthcare areas: maternal and infant health, immunizations, school health, adolescent and reproductive health, HIV-AIDS, nutrition, oral health, chronic diseases, and MUCH more. 

 Just a sampling of ICATCH funded work includes successful programs that have:

• Assisted teen mothers to breastfeed, use birth control and get back to school in Liberia.
• Provided ongoing follow-up dental care for children AFTER cleft palate or cleft lip repair in Cambodia.
• Used Helping Babies Breathe to better train doctors, midwives, and birth attendants in Palestine.
• Expanded and improved an adolescent health clinic in Uganda.
• Created and broadcast radio health messages to remote areas with no cell phone access in Bolivia.
• Established Kangaroo Mother Care corners in nurseries in Zambia.
• Provided follow-up clinical care for premies in Haiti.
• Prevented burn injuries in Mongolia.
• Taught villagers how to start & maintain floating vegetable gardens on Tonlé Sap Lake in Cambodia.
• Implemented a first-ever follow-up clinic for children with chronic diseases in Liberia.

The ICATCH Grant Cycle

ICATCH grants can be used to create or expand a program that provides child health services to infants, children or adolescents, or that delivers training and education to providers thereby improving the quality of services or expanding the scope of services provided. PLEASE NOTE: ICATCH does NOT fund research, assessments, or surveys. Our focus is on providing healthcare or health education that we already know improves children’s health and well-being.

ICATCH announces its Call for Proposals every fall.  The funding cycle begins in July of the following year and runs for a 3-year period.  For more detail on the application process or to apply, view our application information.

Support Our Work

Please join us! Help local pediatricians and health workers around the world enable children in their communities lead healthier, happier lives.

Every donation to ICATCH directly supports this work. Consider a donation today.

If your company or organization would like to learn more about supporting our work or partnering with us, please contact us.

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