Why it makes sense to invest in women and children’s health

But rather than ‘costs’, it would be more appropriate to consider such spending as ‘investments’, because it accrues long-term rights and dividends, to the economy and to society. According to recent research, some of the best returns accrue from investments in the health and well-being of women, children and young people.

Take the example of child birth. According to a study published in the Lancet, money spent on providing good antenatal healthcare accrues a triple return on investment to the economy and society at large. Meanwhile, investments aimed at improving nutrition have, on average, a benefit-cost ratio of 16:1.

This makes intuitive, as well as statistical, sense: when preventable complications arise during labor, the woman and child may be left permanently sick or disabled, imposing huge long-term costs on them and their families, and on the government also, which may need to provide expensive, long-term health care. Likewise, investing so that children receive the calories they need to fully develop ensures they will be more productive and healthier over the entire course of their lives, preventing avoidable deaths and costs to society and government.