The links between adolescent health and education: pathways, impacts and economic modelling

Health and education are interdependent pillars of human capital development, yet they are often treated in isolation within policy and economic models. This study presents a conceptual and empirical framework that integrates health and education interventions to assess their joint impact on educational attainment, population health, productivity, and economic development. Using a human capital approach, the study models the effects of four school-based health interventions-nutrition, deworming, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and mental health programmes-on education outcomes in 75 low- and middle-income countries. It also quantifies the long-term health benefits from reduced adolescent pregnancies, due to increased years of schooling, in the form of lower under-five and adult mortality. The immediate health benefits for adolescents of these school-based programmes are not modelled. Using an updated version of an education model combined with an employment benefits model, the study estimates the costs and returns of investing in these interventions from 2025 to 2050. Results show the interventions alone yield over 422 million additional school completions, with economic benefits exceeding US$15.3 trillion and a benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 7.0. When health benefits of education in the form of reduced mortality are included, benefits rise to over US$25.2 trillion, with a BCR of 11.5. These findings demonstrate the powerful bidirectional relationship between health and education and support the case for integrated investments. The study also outlines methodological advancements in modelling the combined impact of education and health, while acknowledging limitations such as the focus on market-based outcomes and assumptions of uniform intervention effectiveness. Future research should include immediate economic benefits of health interventions, broader dimensions of human development, including equity, institutional quality, and social capital. The findings offer compelling evidence for policymakers to prioritize coordinated, cross-sectoral strategies that yield high returns in both education and health.