Prioritising the fight against stunting

This presentation draws on a special issue of Development Southern Africa that explores why addressing child stunting must be a national priority in South Africa. Bringing together interdisciplinary research, the discussion examined how chronic undernutrition, poor health, and adverse living conditions affect children’s growth and development, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life. In this presentation Dr Gabrielle Wills unpacks why stunting remains one of South Africa’s most persistent development challenges, how structural inequality influences child nutrition and early development outcomes, and why coordinated, multi-sectoral action is essential to accelerate progress. The discussion also explored what is needed to strengthen accountability and build a more effective national response to reducing child stunting.