The lecturer from the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at UIC Barcelona Manuel Flores took part in the second session of the XL Conference organised by the Spanish Health Economics Association (AES) with a presentation on the long-term consequences of poverty and adverse health during childhood. Flores, who has been researching this area of the health economy over the past few years, explained how “even mild health shocks during childhood can have long-term persistent effects when they occur in critical stages of human development such as the prenatal period”.

The lecturer also spoke about studies that show the importance of a baby's (low) birth weight, as it is associated with different effects over the course of its life, such as in education, health, or even salary. He also reflected on the long-term consequences of the increasing cases of poor mental health and sleep during the pandemic, which, according to early evidence in England, affect 16% and 25% of British children, respectively.

Under the slogan “Reconciling immediacy and the future in health, social policies and the economy”, the AES XL sessions provide monthly meeting opportunities for researchers in the field of health economics where they can discuss and present their research on current concerns and both the short- and long-term effects of the health, economic and social systems.

Watch the full presentation here.