Stunting / Quick Facts

Stunting is caused by poor nutrition and disease during pregnancy and the first two years of life.

It prevents children from reaching their full growth potential.

Stunting is associated with lifelong cognitive defects, educational and employment challenges, increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood and ongoing cycles of intergenerational poverty. Stunted children are therefore unjustly deprived – not only of reaching their full growth potential but, crucially, of achieving their full intellectual potential, too.

The prevalence of stunting is worryingly high among South African children, with prevalence rates estimated at 31% in children under two. This is far higher than many of SA’s developing-country counterparts.

Grow Great aims to drive a national commitment to a stunting-free generation by 2030 and halve the national prevalence of stunting in children under two over the next decade.