Journal
MATERNAL AND CHILD NUTRITION
Volume 9, Issue -, Pages 69-82Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12080
Keywords
stunting; economic productivity; benefitstunting; economic productivity; benefit-cost ratios
Categories
Funding
- project 'Team 1000+ Saving Brains: Economic Impacts of Poverty-Related Risk Factors During the First 1000 Days for Cognitive Development and Human Capital'
- Grand Challenges Canada [0072-03]
- Transform Nutrition consortium
- Department for International Development
- Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets
- Department for International Development (DFID) [201448] Funding Source: researchfish
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This paper outlines the economic rationale for investments that reduce stunting. We present a framework that illustrates the functional consequences of stunting in the 1000 days after conception throughout the life cycle: from childhood through to old age. We summarize the key empirical literature around each of the links in the life cycle, highlighting gaps in knowledge where they exist. We construct credible estimates of benefit-cost ratios for a plausible set of nutritional interventions to reduce stunting. There are considerable challenges in doing so that we document. We assume an uplift in income of 11% due to the prevention of one fifth of stunting and a 5% discount rate of future benefit streams. Our estimates of the country-specific benefit-cost ratios for investments that reduce stunting in 17 high-burden countries range from 3.6 (DRC) to 48 (Indonesia) with a median value of 18 (Bangladesh). Mindful that these results hinge on a number of assumptions, they compare favourably with other investments for which public funds compete.
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