The new volume The Care Dividend: Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care, published by Cambridge University Press – one of the world’s leading academic publishers – is now available in open access. The book is edited by Professor Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Trieste, who is also among the contributing authors.

The volume explores a crucial yet often overlooked issue in public debate: the value of investment in long-term care systems. It argues that such investment is not only essential to meeting the needs of vulnerable individuals but also a powerful driver of economic and social progress. A well-structured care infrastructure fosters a more equitable, free and productive society – one in which caregivers, who are often women, are better able to participate fully in working and social life.

The book brings together contributions from researchers across Europe, Japan and the United States, and is accompanied by a set of policy briefs for decision-makers, promoted by the WHO Kobe Centre – the World Health Organization’s hub for research on ageing and health system development. 

The Care Dividend: Why and How Countries Should Invest in Long-Term Care 

Policy briefs and summary materials available on the WHO website