Karongi, Rwanda the governor of Rwanda’s western province, Ntibitura Jean Bosco, has spotlighted the elevated rates of child stunting in the region and pledged stronger multi sectoral collaboration to tackle the issue.
Governor Ntibitura made the remarks during a high-level consultative meeting on fighting malnutrition and reducing stunting, held in Karongi on July 23, 2026. The event was organized by CLADHO in partnership with World Vision.
He noted that the western province continues to record stunting levels higher than the national average, largely due to inadequate nutrition for children and mothers, poverty, and insufficient hygiene and sanitation practices.
“We have found that stunting and malnutrition in our province are largely caused by the lack of a balanced diet for both children and parents, inadequate hygiene and sanitation, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers not taking proper care of themselves, failure to utilize health services, limited knowledge on proper nutrition, and domestic conflicts.”
A critical national challenge
Stunting in children under five remains a serious concern across Rwanda, with long term consequences on cognitive development and lifelong potential. The latest Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey shows the Western Province at 32.7% stunting prevalence, compared to the national average of 27%. The country aims to reduce this figure to below 15% by 2029.
While the province still faces challenges, progress is visible in some areas. Ngororero district was praised for slashing stunting from 51% in 2021 to 33%. Overall, the Western Province reduced stunting by 7.3 percentage points between 2020 and 2025, reaching the current 32.7%. However, Rusizi and Karongi districts recorded slight increases during the same period.
Minister urges stronger interventions
The meeting, chaired by Minister for Gender and Family Promotion, Uwimana Consolée, called on provincial leaders to implement bold measures while scaling up strategies that have worked in better-performing districts.
Minister Uwimana stressed the importance of agriculture and nutrition education: “We must pay special attention to agriculture so that people can have sufficient food. We have to continue teaching people how to prepare balanced diets so that every parent knows what they should give to their child.”
Governor Ntibitura reaffirmed the province’s commitment to working closely with government institutions, partners like CLADHO and World Vision, and local communities to address the root causes of malnutrition and give every child a healthier start in life.The gathering ended with a renewed sense of urgency and collaboration toward a stunting free future for the children of western province.
Naomi Irakoze Mugaragu.