The Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town is urging double-duty actions to tackle both the longstanding problem of child stunting and the rapid rise in overweight and obesity, building on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2026 pledge to end stunting by 2030.
Overweight and obesity rates among children under five in South Africa rose from 13% in 2016 to 22.3% in 2023, while more than one in four young children remain stunted.
Lori Lake of the Children’s Institute said it is vital to adopt double-duty actions that address both forms of malnutrition. The institute has called for an increase in the Child Support Grant to meet the Food Poverty Line of R855 per person per month, a maternal support grant for women in late pregnancy, and stronger regulation of foods high in sugar, salt and fat.