The United Nations World Food Programme on Tuesday, April 28, handed over anthropometric equipment to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in suupport of efforts to strengthen child nutrition and growth monitoring. ALSO READ: Child stunting declines, but govt targets not met The equipment includes 144 weighing scales and 144 height boards that will be distributed to health facilities and community health workers in Ngororero and Rutsiro districts, which have child stunting rates of 35.8 and 33.8 per cent, respectively. Officials said the tools will enable early detection of children's nutrition status, allowing timely interventions to prevent malnutrition and stunting. Speaking during the handover, RBC Director General Claude Mambo Muvunyi, said the equipment will strengthen Rwanda’s nutrition surveillance system and improve the monitoring of child growth at the community level. ALSO READ: How Govt plans to reduce stunting from 33% to 15% He said the support aligns with national priorities to improve nutrition outcomes and contributes to broader ambition of reducing malnutrition and building human capital. “We still face high rates of malnutrition, and improving nutrition remains one of the country’s priorities,” he said, adding that stronger monitoring systems are essential for evidence-based interventions. WFP Country Director Andrea Bagnoli said the handover reflects a shared commitment to improving nutrition for children and women across the country. He said the equipment will support more than 800 nutrition-related activities and help local health institutions detect and respond to malnutrition cases more effectively. ALSO READ: Why stunting persists in Gicumbi District | Leaders and families speak “Ending malnutrition cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires partnerships that address not only food insecurity but also education and broader health challenges,” Bagnoli said. He also acknowledged support by the Swiss Development Agency (SDC) to nutrition programmes in Rwanda, describing it as instrumental in advancing interventions even before nutrition gained wider global attention. The Deputy Head of Cooperation at SDC, Ueli Maurderli, said the handover marks a concrete outcome of the joint nutrition programme and reflects Switzerland’s continued commitment to Rwanda’s efforts to eliminate child malnutrition. He noted that while the programme has strengthened nutrition monitoring systems and service delivery, effective coordination among stakeholders remains critical to ensuring measurable results on the ground. ALSO READ: Eastern Province steps up fight against persistent child stunting “These are important foundations for sustainable progress towards ending malnutrition in Rwanda,” he said. The height boards, also known as infantometers, are used to measure children’s height against age-based growth standards to detect risks of stunting. Officials said the equipment will primarily be used by community health workers to monitor children under five, enabling earlier interventions before growth challenges become severe. The government target of reducing stunting from 27 to 15 percent by 2029.
