Improving Nutrition Through Multisectoral Approaches

Investing in nutrition and early child development are integral components of a coherent social protection system aimed at preventing the intergenerational transmission of poverty, and key determinants of long-term economic growth. Proper child nutrition increases human capital and productivity. Social protection programs typically increase income and can influence the control of this income. Who controls income can improve nutritional status to some degree. Social protection programs can also improve nutrition by fostering linkages with health services or sanitation programs, and specifically through activities related to nutrition education and/or micronutrient supplementation. When targeted to the critical window of opportunity, social protection programs can enhance nutrition investments. The window of opportunity opens during pregnancy and closes at about two years of age. The consequences of malnutrition during this period are severe and largely irreversible. An income or in-kind transfer alone may be insufficient to improve nutrition. Impact can and should be augmented by specific design features, which can play an essential role in generating impact of transfers and other types of social protection programs, such as welfare, pension, or insurance.