Cost-effective interventions in schools can prevent or greatly reduce health problems and
consequences of malnutrition and foster the positive effects of nutrition. Compared with
various public health approaches, school health programmes that provide safe and lowcost
health service interventions, such as screening and health education, are shown by
research to be one of the most cost-effective investments a nation can make to improve
health. Furthermore, among the most cost-effective investments in health are programmes that
include expanded micronutrient supplementation and increased knowledge about nutrition (41).
Illustratively, a nutrition education programme in Indonesia which was based on behavioural
change showed a considerably greater impact at notably lower cost than other types of
interventions to which it was compared (70).