South Africa has persistently high rates of hunger and malnutrition among mothers and children. More than a quarter – 27% – of children under five are stunted and 61% of children are iron-deficient. Sixty-nine percent of women of reproductive age are overweight or obese, and 31% are iron-deficient.
These figures paint a worrying picture. They suggest gaps in the country’s evidence-based nutrition policies and services.
