The historic U.S.-Africa Leaders summit that took place last week in Washington, D.C. was billed as an opportunity for “Investing in the Next Generation” of Africans. While over $30 billion in trade, infrastructure and security deals were announced as part of the summit, investments in the fundamental building blocks of economies—young children—were almost entirely absent.
The growth and development of African economies depends on the growth and development of Africa’s children. When children’s growth and potential are stunted due to persistent malnutrition, a nation’s potential is also stunted. Children who are chronically malnourished during their first few years of life get sick more often, have poorer cognitive abilities and earn less money over the course of their lifetimes. The cost of this lost human potential is estimated to be in the billions of dollars each year—losses that are far greater than the sums of money invested through either trade or aid.
Without greater attention to prevent the kind of lost potential that Africa experiences on a massive scale—one out of every three African children is stunted—efforts designed to fuel economic growth across the African continent will fall short. As the President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim recently stated, “Every child stunted is GDP growth that is left on the table.”
Ultimately, the “Africa of Tomorrow” depends on investments in nutrition today. Leaders cannot afford to continue to squander Africa’s most precious natural resource: its children.
Photo: DFID