Towards a more robust investment framework for health

On the 20th anniversary of the 1993 World Development Report (WDR),1 the report of the Lancet Commission on Investing in Health reaffirms that investing in health is a strategic investment with enormous economic returns.2 In recognition of the intrinsic value of health, the Commission used a “full income” approach to demonstrate an even higher total return from health investments than previously calculated. Measuring economic and intrinsic values together clearly shows that investments in health are investments in human development—in enlarging people\'s choices, freedoms, and capabilities to lead lives they value. That is why improving health is a cornerstone of the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and must feature prominently in the future post-2015 development agenda.