Malnutrition and Rwanda

  • In 1994, war and genocide resulted in nearly one million deaths plus massive displacement and resettlement, with catastrophic effects on Rwanda's human resources, institutional capacity, and economic and social infrastructure.
  • 10 – 12 percent of the population now faces chronic food insecurity due to inadequate production, insufficient arable land, high population density, weak agricultural support services, and adverse weather conditions.
  • 45% of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition and 56% are anemic. [1]
  • 44% of severely malnourished children are HIV positive. [2]
  • 43% of under-five child mortality is due to malnutrition. [3]
  • At 343 people per square kilometer, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa.
  • Ninety percent of the population depends on subsistence farming yet seeds for high-nutrient crops are not available.

[1] Rwanda Demographic Health Survey, 2005.
[2] Central Hospital of Kigali, 2006.
[3] Rwandan Ministry of Health, 2006.