THE HIDDEN COST OF SOUTH AFRICA’S CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION

THE first 1 000 days of a child's life, from conception to their second birthday, are the most critical window for brain development.

- SARENE KLOREN

SOUTH Africa faces a triple burden of child malnutrition: undernutrition (stunting), micronutrient deficiencies and overweight. | INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

In South Africa, that window is being systematically violated. For two decades, the nation has failed to lower its stunting rate, leaving more than 1.5 million children under five years old, equating to one in four, trapped in a cycle of undernutrition that creates a future of poverty.

The data from the South African Early Childhood Review 2024 shows that we are losing the battle for a healthy nation’s future.

South Africa faces a triple burden of child malnutrition: undernutrition (stunting), micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight.

Stunting is more than just being too short for one’s age; it is the physical manifestation of chronic undernutrition and environmental failures.

It is a developmental scar that is, sadly, difficult to reverse and carries lifelong consequences: developmental delays, poor school performance, and a heightened risk of chronic conditions like obesity and hypertension in adulthood.