March 2026: Cash Transfer Programs Improve Birth, Nutrition, and Early Childhood Health Outcomes | Leonard Davis Institute at University of Pennsylvania

Deaths among women and children in low- and middle-income countries fell significantly with government-led cash transfer programs, LDI studies in Nature and The Lancet show. Cash transfer programs, which provide direct financial support to people living in poverty, are an increasingly common anti-poverty tool. Using data from 37 low- and middle-income countries, the research provides the first evidence that these programs substantially reduce mortality rates population-wide. This impact is due to better maternal and reproductive health, childhood nutrition, and vaccination rates when households have more resources.