WASHINGTON, April 18, 2018 - The Government of Rwanda and the World Bank yesterday signed a $23 million (approximately Frw 19 billion) Additional Financing agreement to help reduce the stunting rates among children under age 5 in 13 of Rwanda’s highest-stunting districts. The signing took place on the sidelines on the World Bank spring meetings in Washington DC.

Through the Nutrition Sensitive Direct Support (NSDS), this additional financing for the Rwanda Strengthening Social Protection Project* will provide cash transfers to vulnerable families to incentivize the use of health and nutrition services, strengthen their knowledge on better parenting and child care, and support Rwanda’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the development of a clear road map for effective implementation. 

“Given its long-term negative effects on human capital development and poverty eradication, stunting is high on the government of Rwanda’s political and development agenda. We are very grateful to all of you who are contributing to this effort,” said Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

The Government of Rwanda, in partnership with the World Bank, The Power of Nutrition, and the Global Financing Facility (GFF), has developed an integrated program to combat chronic malnutrition, with a focus on high-stunting districts, vulnerable populations, and the critical 1,000 days beyond which stunting becomes largely irreversible.

“I would like to congratulate the Government of Rwanda on setting these ambitious targets and its commitment to fight chronic malnutrition and invest in human capital. The World Bank Group will continue to work with Rwanda to scale up the program nationally bend the curve on stunting,” said Makhtar Diop the World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region.

The Power of Nutrition is investing $35 million into the overall Program, of which $15 million is part of the additional financing signed today, while the remaining $8 million is from the Global Financing Facility which contributes $18 million into the overall program.

The Strengthening Social Protection Project was approved in December 2017 to help the Government of Rwanda improve the effectiveness of Rwanda’s social protection system, notably the flagship Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP), for targeted vulnerable groups.