Health and economic development: reframing the pathway.

The papers included in this symposium provide a compelling rationale for the role of health as an engine of economic growth, and thus for investing in health improvement as an important step in improving economic growth in the Mississippi Delta. This newer model of the relation between health and wealth, positioning health as an investment and as an important determinant of economic growth, has substantial implications for health-related public policy and for the business sector. Societal support of health promoting initiatives through public policy, especially for children and for the poor, are important efforts for improving health and for realizing the economic benefits of health improvement.