Western Cape supports national efforts to tackle child stunting

The Western Cape Government has welcomed national recognition of the urgent need to end child stunting and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting effective interventions that give every child the healthiest possible start in life.

During the State of the Nation Address, the President highlighted the devastating impact of stunting on young children and reaffirmed government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition in the crucial first 1 000 days of life. Stunting not only increases a child’s risk of illness but also affects cognitive development, educational attainment and future earning potential, entrenching cycles of poverty that can last a lifetime.

In 2025, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, in partnership with the DG Murray Trust and Shoprite, launched Khulisa Care. The pilot programme supports underweight pregnant women, mothers at risk of delivering low-birth-weight babies, and infants already born underweight through a combination of nutritious food vouchers and sustained care provided by trained community health workers. The initiative is currently being implemented in Breede Valley, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain, where 897 women are already enrolled, with early collaboration across government, civil society and the private sector already yielding valuable insights.

Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger said the province is encouraged by the growing national focus on early childhood nutrition and stunting prevention. “Ending child stunting in South Africa will require evidence, partnership and urgency. Through Khulisa Care, we are testing a model that combines nutrition and care in the earliest stages of life, and we are already learning important lessons from our communities and healthcare teams. We welcome national support for interventions that work in practice and the opportunity to explore how models like this can be strengthened and scaled so that every child in South Africa has the chance to grow, learn and thrive.”

Premier Alan Winde emphasised the importance of combining resources and learning quickly to maximise impact. “To defeat child stunting, we must combine our resources, our knowledge and our partnerships across every sphere of government and society. By learning quickly from what works and scaling effective interventions, we can have the greatest possible impact now and secure a healthier, more prosperous future for our children.”

The Western Cape Government reiterated its commitment to collaborative, evidence-based action to reduce malnutrition, strengthen early childhood development, and ensure that no child is left behind.

Listen to the Voice Clip by Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger on Childhood Stunting: