How our unsung heroes can reduce stunting

HANDS-ON Experience Learning September 2025 | Issue 31

OPPORTUNITY

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HOW OUR UNSUNG HEROES CAN REDUCE STUNTING South Africa’s community health workers (CHWs) share the same lived experience as the people they serve. They are part of their communities, key figures of influence and mobilisation. They bring primary healthcare to those who struggle to access it and enable the formal health service to be more responsive to community needs. They are not only the eyes and ears of communities; they are connectors – linking people to the formal health system through home visits. CHWs are also well-placed to address the drivers of stunting, but they are often under-resourced and unrecognised.

This learning brief looks at how Grow Great, Philani and One To One Africa (OTOA) are supporting CHWs with the training and equipment they need to prioritise maternal and child health and reduce malnutrition.

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HOW OUR UNSUNG HEROES CAN REDUCE STUNTING

Issue 31 /// September 2025

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How our unsung heroes can reduce stunting

Published on Sep 23, 2025

DG Murray Trust

The care and nutrition that mothers and children receive during the first 1 000 days of a child's life play a crucial role in shaping their growth and learning trajectory. But South Africa is facing a malnutrition crisis, with recent figures revealing one in four has limited access to food. Malnutrition is one of the major drivers of stunting – a (largely preventable) condition where young children are too short for their age and do not reach their full growth potential due to chronic nutritional deprivation, often made worse by repeated infections. The country has a persistently high stunting rate, with more than a quarter of children under five years of age affected. This learning brief looks at how Grow Great, Philani and One To One Africa (OTOA) are supporting community health workers with the training and equipment they need to prioritise maternal and child health and reduce malnutrition.