An innovative project in the Western Cape will test a programme to prevent stunting, which affects more than a quarter of South Africa’s children under the age of five.
Stunting, caused by malnutrition, affects the children physically and mentally for the rest of their lives. A pilot project will study the effects of improving the diets of some 1 700 underweight pregnant women and new mothers feeding underweight babies.
Early malnutrition is seen as the root cause of stunting. Scientists believe stunting must be addressed in the first 1 000 days of a child’s life. The Western Cape pilot project will focus on better diets right from the start. If the results are promising, the project will be extended.
Western Cape health minister Mireille Wenger told the provincial parliament that stunted children were more likely to face developmental delays, struggle at school, drop out early, live in poverty, and suffer from chronic illness later in life. This resulted in healthcare costs and huge lost economic potential.
“The best way to prevent stunting is to address it before it even begins — starting with maternal health and nutrition,” she said. A pilot programme starting later this year in three centres would ensure that mothers and children in the project had a nutritious diet.
From the mothers’ first antenatal visit until their babies were six months old, they would get monthly support offering them food security and diversified diets to ensure proper nutrition for the babies. They would also get a variety of services from community healthcare workers.
The pilot project will be run in partnership with the DG Murray Trust and the office of the Western Cape premier.
“The pilot will run until October 2026, and if successful, it will provide the proof of concept we need to secure public funding and expand the programme in future budget cycles,” Wenger said.
