By Márcia Kalvon, Executive Director of Infinis
In June of this year, we celebrated the first anniversary of Infinis – Institute for a Healthy Childhood Future, a civil society organization created to continue the advocacy and philanthropy work carried out since 2020 by the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation. Infinis was born from the need to intensify our commitment to defending the well-being of children and adolescents and to strengthening civil society.
This is not simply about founding a new organization, but about structuring a consistent approach capable of uniting philanthropy, knowledge production, advocacy, and grantmaking, assuming the responsibility to work toward the transformation of a country that still faces numerous obstacles that compromise child and adolescent development.
Over the past twelve months, and aligned with the strategic pillars of the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation, we chose to prioritize aspects of health that are fundamental to the well-being of children and adolescents: mental health, food security, and violence prevention.
In this context, we expanded our strategic partnership with UNICEF, now supporting its health area with the goal of strengthening public policies focused on the health of children and adolescents, especially in the North and Northeast regions of the country. The initiative exemplifies the role of philanthropy in supporting structural solutions and is part of a set of 68 partnerships promoted by Infinis, all aimed at strengthening organizations with territorial presence and expanding their impact in communities.
This commitment is also reflected in the promotion of spaces for dialogue and collective construction, such as the Public Health Policies Forum for Childhood. In 2025, the event brought together experts for a qualified debate on food and nutritional security. The next edition, taking place in September of this year, will focus on the prevention of violence against children and adolescents, bringing together different sectors in search of solutions to this urgent challenge.
In this first year of integrated action among Infinis, Sabará Children’s Hospital, and Pensi Institute, organizations of the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation, we reinforced our conviction that Brazil’s major challenges will only be overcome if transformation is collaborative. We need a robust, active, and articulated third sector. Therefore, we support the strengthening of civil society, promoting dialogue with legislators, organizations, and different actors in the field to contribute to the improvement of regulatory processes and public policies aimed at the sector.
We celebrate the achievements and learnings, but we know that the country has a long way to go to ensure that all children and adolescents have access to health, protection, and opportunities for their full development. Thus, we continue working to ensure that childhood and adolescence are at the center of public policies and national priorities. Because ensuring a healthy childhood is not only about protecting rights in the present, but about creating the foundations for a better future for all of society.