Malnutrition and childhood illness compromise cognitive development and reduce adult productivity. When health systems fail to prevent illness, society pays a price in the form of treatment costs and lost productivity. Conversely, improved maternal and child health and nutritional status can create a positive cycle, enabling children to realize their potential and helping their communities and countries to prosper. The spending packages would cover maternal and newborn health, child health, immunization, family planning, HIV/AIDS and malaria, with nutrition as a crosscutting theme.