In Rwanda, hospitalized patients are not provided with food, resulting in malnutrition, aggravated illnesses, and prolonged hospitalizations. University Teaching Hospital of Butare, or CHUB, is a large government referral hospital in one of Rwanda’s poorest provinces. Many families with patients at CHUB suffer from food scarcity due to poverty and/or geographic separation from home.

Statistics from the Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2014-2015

• 38% of children aged 1-5 years are stunted, indicating chronic malnutrition
• Only 1 out of 6 children between the ages of 6-23 months receive “a minimum acceptable diet”
• In 2015, 20% of Rwandan households were food-insecure

Statistics from the Ministry of Health

• In 2014, malnutrition decreased the economic productivity of a child by up to 10% over their lifetime
• Resulting in a 3% decrease in national GDP

While acute malnutrition rates have fallen in recent years, Rwandans still experience high levels of chronic malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency.