Happy primary school kids, wearing school uniforms and backpacks, running on a walkway outside their school building

Fixing the foundations: The case for investing in children's health

Article

For decades, governments of all stripes have promised to give children a better, healthier start to life. But despite this – and some notable policy successes – the UK continues to fall short on childhood health outcomes. 

One in four children in England are obese by the end of primary school. One in five have a probable mental health disorder. Infant mortality rates are climbing, while childhood immunisation rates have now fallen below international targets. Ultimately, the UK now ranks in the bottom half of high income nations for overall child wellbeing, and in the bottom third for mental health.

Improving children’s health is not just morally right – it is a social and economic necessity. A healthier generation of children is essential to delivering this government’s core missions: improving the nation’s health, spreading opportunity, and securing sustainable economic growth.

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