Nutrition experts meeting in Kigali have called for stronger, coordinated interventions to accelerate the reduction of child stunting in Rwanda, where the prevalence remains well above the national target.

Stunting among children under five declined from 33 per cent in 2020 to 27 per cent in 2025, according to Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey data published by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. However, the pace of progress remains too slow to meet the country’s target of reducing stunting to 15 per cent by 2029.

"We have been able to reduce stunting, but the burden is still high. Every year, we are reducing it by about one percentage point, yet we need to reach a reduction of about three percentage points annually to achieve our national targets,” said Dr Aline Uwimana, Division Manager of Maternal, Child and Community Health at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).

Uwimana was speaking at a three-day international symposium running from October 13 to 15 at Serena Hotel in Kigali. The meeting brings together experts to share scientific evidence and practical approaches to tackling malnutrition in Rwanda, Burkina Faso and Benin.

Co-organised by Nutriset and the HealthyStart Project, hosted by the King Faisal Hospital Rwanda Foundation, the symposium is supported by the French Embassy in Rwanda and the Sight and Life Foundation. It focuses on small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS), designed to help address nutrient deficiencies among children aged six to 23 months.

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Early nutrition: The foundation for lifelong growth

Uwimana said interventions during the first 1,000 days—from conception to a child’s second birthday—are essential for healthy brain development, physical growth and long-term health.

Maternal nutrition, early antenatal care, breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding are among the key measures needed during this period.

"During pregnancy and up to 24 months, the brain development of a child reaches about 80 per cent. When we miss this window, it becomes very difficult to correct the effects of malnutrition later,” she said.

Stunting also has consequences beyond health, affecting children’s education and future productivity while undermining economic growth and increasing vulnerability to infectious diseases.

Uwimana noted that 11 districts still have stunting rates above 30 per cent, with Gicumbi, Burera and Ngororero among the most affected. Nationally, the Northern Province recorded the highest rate in 2025 at 32.7 per cent, closely followed by the Western Province at 32.6 per cent. The Southern Province stood at 26.1 per cent, the Eastern Province at 25.8 per cent, and Kigali had the lowest rate at 14.2 per cent.

Rwanda aims to reduce stunting to five per cent by 2035 and below three per cent by 2050.

"There is no single intervention that will resolve this problem. We need to put all the ingredients together at the right moment to have the correct solution,” Uwimana said, calling for evidence-based interventions tailored to local circumstances.

Targeted nutrient supplements could accelerate progress

Dr Samson Desie, UNICEF Rwanda’s Chief of Health and Nutrition, said small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements could help accelerate efforts to reduce stunting.

"SQ-LNS has the potential to reduce stunting by 12 per cent,” he said.

Desie said the supplements would complement existing nutrition programmes rather than replace them, helping address persistent nutrient gaps among vulnerable children. Their potential contribution to Rwanda’s stunting-reduction target will be among the issues discussed at the symposium.

French Ambassador to Rwanda Aurélie Royet-Gounin also called for international cooperation and a multisectoral approach to tackling malnutrition.

"I believe—and I am sure you agree—that this is truly a global challenge and a shared objective,” she said.

Royet-Gounin cited the Nutrition for Growth summit held in Paris in March 2025, which mobilised $27 billion for nutrition initiatives. She said France was committed to supporting integrated action, particularly during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

In Rwanda, France is supporting the Ministry of Health through a €60 million loan from the French Development Agency, alongside technical assistance, to improve access to primary healthcare. The initiative includes screening children under two for stunted growth.

"The main goal was to convince key stakeholders of the urgent need for integrated action addressing all these factors, with a strong focus [...] on the ‘first 1,000 days’ window of opportunity,” she said.

Symposium to identify practical solutions

The second day will focus on country experiences and implementation challenges. Rwanda’s HealthyStart Project is expected to present pilot-study results and a clinical-trial update, while representatives from Burkina Faso and Benin will share lessons from their nutrition programmes and initiatives involving SQ-LNS.

On the final day, participants will identify barriers to implementation, enabling factors and opportunities to scale up interventions. The discussions are expected to produce recommendations to help governments and partners strengthen nutrition programmes and make evidence-based decisions.

Uwimana said the meeting offers an opportunity to identify what should change and which existing interventions should be strengthened to accelerate progress towards Rwanda’s targets.