Kigali, 04 February 2019

Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College (RDFCSC) students started today a study tour as part of their Senior Command and Staff Course curriculum. During the tour, students intend to research on sustainable ways to eradicate malnutrition in Rwanda, as an aspect of human security threats facing the country. Scheduled from 4 to 9 February, the study tour aims at learning from concerned ministries and institutions responsible for implementing the national multisectoral strategy to eliminate malnutrition in Rwanda. In her allocution during the launch of the tour, Dr Diane Gashumba, the Minister for Health said that malnutrition is seriously threatening the future of Rwanda as a nation because it affects every system in the human body and always results in increased vulnerability to illness, growth complications and affects brain development and health. “The Government has placed malnutrition high on its priority list, to be eradicated under the Sustainable Development Goals, and is taking measures to turn the tide on stunting by involving all stakeholders. The Ministry of Health therefore is thankful to RDFCSC for their support and it is hoped that the research outcomes will be of a great importance for the journey towards completely eliminating malnutrition in the whole country,” said Dr Gashumba.

This year’s study tour theme is “Malnutrition in Rwanda: A Threat to Sustainable Peace, Security and Economic Development”. The Commandant of RDF Command and Staff College, Maj Gen Jean Bosco Kazura said that  RDF and the college recognise the magnitude of threat that malnutrition is imposing on the country and is committed to contribute to its eradication process. “It is against this background that Senior Command and Staff Course intake 07 is touring the whole country in conducting a research with the aim to join hands with other stakeholders in eradicating malnutrition countrywide. Our tour objectives thus include, identifying current policies and strategies aimed at eradicating malnutrition in Rwanda, assess the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of those policies and strategies as well as identifying the achievements and challenges in implementing those policies.” 48 student officers compose the one-year-long course and they are not only drawn from Rwanda but also from allied countries that include Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. RDFCSC is the highest training institution of the RDF and its mission is to develop the intellectual ability of its student officers to enable them better understand national, regional and global security challenges and how they impact on the military operating environment.