If you knew that a relatively modest investment in women’s sexual and reproductive health would yield stunningly high returns in terms of the physical and economic health of your nation, why wouldn’t you do it? Money talks, but a surprising number of the world’s financial ministers, particularly those in developing nations, still aren’t listening when it comes to funding in this area.

A recent World Bank Report, Investing in Reproductive Health: Closing the Deadly Gap Between What We Know and What We Do, demonstrates large economic incentives to invest in reproductive health: increased labor productivity, increased household wealth as well as broader economic returns.

Our panel of experts will explore this topic and more, including the major barriers to implementing strong policies and interventions to support sexual and reproductive health, and will seek to identify positive ways forward.

Watch the debate here and participate via Twitter hashtag #reprohealthinvest.

Panelists:

Jeni Klugman, Director of Gender and Development, World Bank
Klugman is author of the report, Investing in Reproductive Health: Closing the Deadly Gap Between What We Know and What We Do. Prior to her current role, she was the lead author of three global Human Development Reports published by the United Nations Development Programme, and has published a number of books, papers and reports on topics ranging from poverty reduction strategies and labour markets to conflict, health reform, education and decentralization.

Alicia Ely Yamin, JD MPH, Director of the Program on Health Rights of Women and Children, François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University
Yamin's 20-year career at the intersection of health, human rights and development has included the prestigious Joseph H. Flom Fellow on Global Health and Human Rights at Harvard Law School and Director of Research and Investigations at Physicians for Human Rights. She has published dozens of articles and books relating to health and human rights, and has been awarded multiple distinctions in respect of her work on health and human rights.

Rafael Cortez, Senior Economist, Health, Nutrition and Population, World Bank
Cortez works as Senior Economist in the Health, Nutrition and Population Unit (HDNHE) with a wide operational and research experience in the supervision and preparation of Health Sector Projects in Latin American and South Asia regions. His current work is focused in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. in low-income and middle-income countries; and in developing strategies for Health and Social Financial Protection in Health among vulnerable. He earned a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota, with specialization in Household Economics, Economic Development and Econometrics. Prior to joining the World Bank Group, he has held full time-teaching and research positions in the Universidad del Pacifico, Lima, Peru as an Associate Professor, and worked as an Economics Advisor for the Social Health Social Security System in Peru. He has a combination of strategic, analytical and operational skills, with a strong track record of developing and delivering innovative health sector operations in Latin American and South Asia regions. He has published several books, articles and reports.