Improving Childhood Health and Development Need Not Be an Olympian Effort

Op-Ed by By Afshan Khan, SUN Movement Coordinator, and Sania Nishtar, CEO of GAVI and SUN Movement Lead Group member

From 11-year-old Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao to 16-year-old American gymnast Hezly Rivera, several children will reach the pinnacle of world sport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games over the coming weeks. 

Yet at the same time, millions of other children worldwide are denied the chance to unlock their full potential simply because of a lack of access to basic nutritious diets and vaccines that prevent disease. 

As young athletes impress and inspire global audiences, the Games are the perfect moment to reflect on how to level the playing field for all children. Integrating nutrition and immunisation as the cornerstones of healthy development can be a game-changer, ensuring every child is able to reach their full potential in whatever field they choose.

The conditions for healthy development include both the absence of disease and presence of adequate nutrition, creating a virtuous cycle that allows children to thrive. Vaccines trigger the strongest immunity in children who have healthy diets, while those who are malnourished are more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Unconscionably, in this day and age, both malnutrition and preventable infectious disease claim the lives of millions of children every year.

Globally, more than 14 million children are un- or under-vaccinated - an increase of 2.7 million compared with pre-pandemic levels -  while almost a quarter of children under five were stunted in 2022 as a result of inadequate diets.

Yet, immunisation and nutrition interventions are proven to be amongst the most cost-effective approaches to help children survive and thrive. One dollar invested in nutrition gives a rate of return of US$ 16, for exclusive breastfeeding this figure increases to $35, while the return on investment of immunisation in Gavi-supported countries is estimated at between US$ 21 and US$54 per US$ 1 spent. 

Combining immunisation and nutrition services is a cost-effective way to improve childhood health and development. This is especially true in low- and middle-income countries where immunisation rates are lowest, malnutrition is prevalent and resources are stretched thin. The latest UN figures show more than half of unvaccinated children live in 31 countries exposed to conflict and other vulnerabilities, disrupting access to nutrition and health services.

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