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Improved maternal, newborn and child health can enable families to break out of a cycle of ill health and poverty that may otherwise continue for generations. Smaller family size and appropriately spaced births allow families and governments to invest more in each child’s education and health, which raises productivity and economic growth. Poor health adversely affects family income, caregiving, and productivity. Illness and death contribute to the impoverishment of families through medical expenditures they can ill afford, reducing funds for necessities, such as food and education.