Fit to Prosper : Investing in Health for Jobs and Development in Western and Central Africa

Overview & Synopsis

Over 200 million children will be born in West and Central Africa (AFW) between 2025 and 2050, a major addition to total regional population of 534 million. By 2050, almost one in five young people globally will be living in AFW. As they look to the future beyond 2050, their prospects - and that of their countries - will depend heavily on the investments they and their governments make between now and then. Health and nutrition outcomes during a child’s early years matter greatly for later life prospects, but currently, almost 10 percent of children in AFW die before their fifth birthday, and almost one-third of children under five are stunted. These deficits are putting the region at a major disadvantage for the learning and jobs agendas of the future, just as the challenges in these areas reflect, in part, the health and nutrition deficits of the past. The imperative is to break this cycle. The World Bank’s vision for the region is universal health coverage - that all people have access to the full range of quality health, nutrition, and population services they need without facing financial hardship.