Children at Risk: A Health Economist Measures the Prevalence and Economic Impact of Poverty or Stunting

Children at Risk: A Health Economist Measures the Prevalence and Economic Impact of Poverty or Stunting

For Chunling Lu, PhD, joining the Lancet Series on Early Child Development was a natural extension to her previous research activities, and she tells CRN that it has been one of the most inspiring experiences in her research career.

More than 250 million children under age 5 are at risk of not reaching their full developmental potential. A poor start in life can lead to consequences when these children reach adulthood, including poor health, low earnings and social tensions. But scientific evidence has the potential to pinpoint effective interventions that could change the lives of millions of people for the better. The Lancet Early Childhood Development Series was launched in 2016 to put a spotlight on the magnitude of the problem as well as effective interventions, with case studies from diverse regions that illustrate how governments can take steps to scale up proven interventions.

Health economist Chunling Lu, PhD, of the Division of Global Health Equity, contributed to the series last fall in an article about the prevalence and economic impact of children exposed to risk factors such as poverty or stunting in developing countries. Lu recently spoke to CRN about the inspiration for her work and the challenges she and her colleagues face.

Read full article at Clinical and Research News