Launched on September 27, 2024 by GAIN Rwanda in collaboration with National Child Development Agency (NCDA), academic institutions like the University of Rwanda, the University of Global Health Equity and others, the Network will provide research-based evidence to advocate for policy and legislative reforms, as well as to promote collaborative efforts to address malnutrition in line with Rwanda’s NST2.

The University of Rwanda will take the lead in this initiative, working alongside researchers from various higher learning institutions with the support of the National Child Development Agency (NCDA) and partners like UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Rwanda.

The SUN Academia platform was launched on September 27, 2024

Silver Karumba, GAIN Rwanda Country Representative, stated that the Network’s core mandate is to generate, share, and apply evidence-based knowledge while building capacity both horizontally and vertically. This effort aims to inform effective nutrition actions, policies, and programs, ultimately improving the health and nutrition of Rwandans.

“The Network will foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and nutrition practitioners, bridging the gap between theory and practice to enhance nutrition interventions,” he said.

Karumba further explained that by involving academic institutions, the Network will build the capacity of local professionals and students in nutrition, ensuring a pipeline of skilled personnel to advance Rwanda’s nutrition agenda.

Rwanda joined the SUN (Scale Up Nutrition) movement in 2011, focusing on the critical first 1,000 days of life to eliminate stunting. Launched in 2010 due to a growing global recognition of malnutrition as a fundamental development challenge, the SUN Movement has since gained traction, with many countries committing to reducing malnutrition by aligning national nutrition priorities and scaling up nutrition initiatives equitably and sustainably.

Silver Karumba, GAIN Rwanda Country Representative speaking at the launch. H said that the Network’s core mandate is to generate, share, and apply evidence-based knowledge.

By joining SUN, Rwanda aims to leverage global resources, technical expertise, and partnerships to enhance nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific initiatives.

Existing SUN platforms, such as the SUN Government platform (coordinating multi-sectoral efforts across ministries), the SUN Civil Society Network (focused on advocacy and community-level implementation), and the SUN Business Network (engaging the private sector in nutrition), the SUN Development Partners Platform, and the SUN UN platform will complement the newly established SUN Academia Network, which has been the missing piece for the country to fully comply with all functional SUN platforms

Gilbert Mutuyimana, Deputy Director General at NCDA, noted that this launch is a significant milestone in supporting the country’s commitment to achieving national nutrition targets and international frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He expressed optimism that academic institutions can contribute to developing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of nutrition programs, thereby improving accountability and facilitating continuous learning and program refinement.

“Academia will play a vital role in these commitments by providing research-driven insights and monitoring the progress of nutrition interventions,” he observed.

Gilbert Mutuyimana (C), Deputy Director General at NCDA noted that this launch is a significant milestone in supporting the country’s commitment to achieving national nutrition targets.