UNICEF and Norway join forces with Njombe Region to tackle childhood stunting

Njombe, Tanzania 14 May 2025 – With 40 per cent of children under five affected by stunting, Njombe is among Tanzania’s hardest-hit regions when it comes to childhood malnutrition. In a bold step to change that reality, the Njombe Regional Government, in partnership with UNICEF and with support from the Government of Norway, launched the Njombe Stunting Reduction Acceleration Response Plan (2024/25–2029/30) – a five-year, comprehensive strategy to reduce stunting and improve child well-being over the next five years.

The initiative is anchored in President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s Nutrition Compact, a nationwide commitment endorsed by all Regional Commissioners to combat malnutrition. Njombe’s adoption of this response plan marks a crucial step in translating the Nutrition Compact into meaningful change for children and families in the region, by addressing the local drivers of stunting.

“This Response Plan is more than a policy document; it is a call to action,” said Honourable Anthony Mtaka, Njombe Regional Commissioner. “Addressing stunting in Njombe demands urgency, innovation, and strong partnerships to transform our region into a model of child nutrition success.”

UNICEF, with generous financial support from the Government of Norway, has worked in close collaboration with the Government of Tanzania, particularly the Njombe Regional Secretariat to develop this tailored multisectoral response plan to reduce childhood stunting rates in Njombe to 25 per cent by 2030. Central to the approach is a focus on the First 1,000 Days of a child’s life, from conception to the age of two, a critical window for improving long-term health, growth, and development.

“Investing in child nutrition is investing in Tanzania’s future,” said H.E. Tone Tinnes, Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania. “Norway is proud to support the Njombe Regional Government and UNICEF in this bold effort to tackle stunting. Together, we can ensure that every child—no matter where they are born—has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.”

“Stunting is not just a nutrition issue, it reflects deeper social and economic challenges, from poverty and limited access to services to gender inequalities,” said Elke Wisch, UNICEF Representative to Tanzania and Chair of the Development Partners Group for Nutrition. “The Stunting Reduction Acceleration Response Plan is a roadmap for a healthier, more sustainable future fuelled by optimal child nutrition and development in Njombe Region and beyond contributing to Tanzania’s development aspirations.”

An estimated US$3 million is required to implement the plan over five years, supporting integrated action across nutrition, healthcare, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, and social protection. These coordinated efforts will focus on delivering proven, high-impact interventions at the community level, with particular emphasis on reaching the most vulnerable children and families.

As part of the first phase of implementing this response plan, UNICEF - together with the Njombe Regional Secretariat, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and Centre for Counselling, Nutrition and Health Care (COUNSENUTH) - has already launched the Lishe ya Mwanao initiative, aiming to reduce stunting by leveraging community systems across Njombe to improve diets, quality services, and practices for more than 100,000 children under the age of two, their caregivers, and 70,000 pregnant women by the end of 2025.

“UNICEF is committed to securing continued support and expanding partnerships with government, development partners, civil society and private sector stakeholders to tackle child malnutrition,” added Ms Wisch. “Meaningful, lasting progress depends on collective effort. By working together, we can give every child in Njombe and across Tanzania a fair chance to grow, learn, and thrive.”