Northwell Health and other U.S. health systems on Tuesday donated $10 million to fund a gun violence prevention awareness campaign, aiming to educate the public about an epidemic that’s become one of the leading causes of childhood death.

The initial $10 million investment comes from nearly 10 health systems, said Ramon Soto, chief marketing and communications officer at Northwell Health. The funding will be a seed for the campaign’s larger, $40 million fundraising goal, which it hopes to attain in the next two years.

The campaign, led by the marketing nonprofit Ad Council, aims to bring conversations about gun violence and its impacts on youth to the forefront, and will focus on public health approaches to address high rates of suicide and homicide in the U.S. The initial investment will allow the Ad Council to collect data and develop a strategy on how to raise awareness around gun violence prevention. Soto, who sits on the board of directors at the Ad Council, said he expects the campaign to launch next year.

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. But only a quarter of parents know that, Soto said. He said that health systems have a unique opportunity to depoliticize the conversation around gun violence and engage parents about the risks that children too often face in their communities.

“This is not a Second Amendment fight,” Soto said. “This is really much more of a social issue and a public health issue.”

Northwell and the Ad Council announced the funding at Northwell’s fifth annual Gun Violence Prevention Forum on Tuesday. The campaign draws its financial support from the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention and Safety.

Crain’s Health Pulse Wednesday, February 28, 2024