Kigali, 6 August 2026 — Rwanda has made encouraging progress in reducing child stunting. Still, discussions at this month’s RBC Health Science and Innovation Platform (SIP) highlighted the need for faster and more coordinated action. Stunting among children under five declined from 33% in 2020 to 27% in 2025, while the number of districts with prevalence above 30% fell from 20 to 11. Despite this progress, Rwanda needs to accelerate the decline to reach the NST2 target of 15% by 2029 and the Vision 2050 ambition of 5.5%.
The platform brought together researchers, clinicians, programme managers, policymakers and other stakeholders to examine the evidence behind child stunting and discuss what can be done differently to achieve greater impact. Evidence presented showed that stunting is not simply a nutrition problem. Poverty, maternal education and health, food security, water and sanitation, and childhood infections all influence a child’s growth. One study presented at the platform found that 75% of inequality in child stunting was linked to social determinants, with intergenerational factors accounting for 31% and low maternal education 17%.
Speaking on Rwanda’s response, Dr. Aline Uwimana, Maternal, Child and Community Health (MCCH) Division Manager at RBC, highlighted the Two-Year Nutrition Acceleration Action Plan, which focuses on strengthening nutrition interventions during pregnancy and the first 1,000 days of life. The plan gives priority to high-burden districts, including Gicumbi (38.8%), Burera (37.6%) and Ngororero (35.8%). Participants also identified complementary feeding as an area that needs greater attention, as only 27% of children aged 6–23 months meet the Minimum Acceptable Diet.
The discussions emphasized that preventing stunting starts early—through better maternal nutrition and care during pregnancy, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, appropriate and diverse complementary feeding, prevention of childhood infections, and action on the social conditions that affect families. This also means that reducing stunting cannot be the responsibility of the health sector alone; it requires sustained collaboration across sectors, communities, and families.
Rwanda has shown that progress is possible. The priority now is to build on what is working, focus efforts where the burden is highest, and turn evidence into action. Through SIP, RBC continues to create a space where research, policy and implementation come together to strengthen health programmes and accelerate progress towards a future where every child has the opportunity to grow, develop and thrive.
Key evidence presented:
1. Leveraging multisectoral approach to understand the determinants of childhood stunting in Rwanda: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Kalinda C, Qambayot MA, Ishimwe SMC, et al. Systematic Reviews. 2024;13:16. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02438-4
2. National Progress on Child Stunting Reduction in Rwanda: Program Performance, Implementation Achievements and Remaining Priorities
Uwimana A, MCCH Division Manager, Rwanda Biomedical Centre. Presented at the RBC Health Science and Innovation Platform, 6 August 2026.