Equity & Distributional Impact on Stunting of a Nutritional Package, Children Aged 6-36 Months in China: Modeling Study Findings
2020
This article evaluates the potential impact of rolling out the Ying Yang Bao (YYB) nutritional package on child stunting across provinces and wealth groups in China, focusing on equity. Utilizing data from the China Family Panel Studies and extended cost-effectiveness analysis methods, the study estimates the distributional impact of a 12-month YYB program for children aged 6-36 months across 25 provinces and two wealth groups. Results indicate that a 75% coverage of YYB could avert 1.9 million stunting cases, with significant disparities in costs and effectiveness across provinces and wealth groups. The cost per stunting case averted varies widely, ranging from ¥800 to ¥23,300 across provinces, with generally lower costs for children living under the poverty line. The findings suggest that YYB could serve as a pro-poor nutritional intervention, benefiting marginalized Chinese children, but with considerable variability in cost-effectiveness. The study underscores the importance of prioritizing provinces and adopting a targeted approach for YYB rollout in China.
Source:
Li Z, Fawzi WW, Cohen JL, Verguet S. Equity and Distributional Impact on Stunting of a Nutritional Package Targeting Children Aged 6-36 Months in China: Findings from a Modeling Study. Nutrients 2020; 12 (9): 2643. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12092643