Context:
India’s struggle with hunger and malnutrition has been underscored by its ranking in the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), where it stands 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3, categorising it in the ‘serious’ range.
Relevance:
GS-II: Social Justice and Governance (Issues related to Hunger and Poverty, Government Policies and Interventions)
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Global Hunger Index (GHI)
- Key Insights from the 19th Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024
- Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in India
About Global Hunger Index (GHI)
- The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool that measures and tracks hunger globally as well as by region and by country.
- The Global Hunger Index (GHI) prepared by European NGOs of Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
- The GHI combines 4 component indicators:
- Undernourishment: the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake (data are from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization)
- Child stunting: the share of children under age five who have low height for their age (data are from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the Demographic and Health Surveys Program)
- Child wasting: the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height (data are from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the Demographic and Health Surveys Program)
- Child mortality: the mortality rate of children under age five (data are from the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation).
- Countries are divided into five categories of hunger on the basis of their score, which are ‘low’, ‘moderate’, ‘serious’, ‘alarming’ and ‘extremely alarming’.
- The GHI is calculated annually, and its results appear in a report issued in October each year.
- Besides presenting GHI scores, each year the GHI report includes an essay addressing one particular aspect of hunger.
- The aim of the Global Hunger Index is to raise awareness and act against hunger to reduce hunger around the world.
Key Insights from the 19th Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024
Overview and Theme
- Theme for 2024: “How gender justice can advance climate resilience and zero hunger.”
- Global Hunger Statistics: A slight improvement noted with a current GHI score of 18.3, down from 18.8 in 2016.
- Vulnerable Populations: Around 2.8 billion people globally cannot afford a healthy diet, underlining the widespread nature of food insecurity.
Regional Disparities
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Faces the highest rates of malnutrition and child mortality, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts in regions like Somalia and Sudan.
- South Asia: Countries including Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan are grappling with significant hunger challenges.
Core Issues and Successes
- Stagnation in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger by 2030): 42 countries are still facing alarming or serious levels of hunger, indicating a stall in progress towards this crucial global goal.
- Gender Disparity: Women’s access to resources is heavily impacted by discriminatory norms and violence, making them disproportionately vulnerable to food insecurity.
- Climate Change and Conflicts: These factors significantly disrupt food systems and agriculture, adding to the challenges in lower-income countries that also face heavy debt burdens.
- Progress in Crisis: Notably, countries like Mozambique and Nepal have shown significant improvements in their GHI scores since 2016, providing hope that advancements are possible.
Call to Action
- The GHI 2024 emphasizes the urgent need for global coordination to tackle the combined challenges of climate change, armed conflict, gender inequality, and economic instability. It highlights the crucial role of supporting vulnerable populations, especially women, in combating hunger.
India-Specific Findings from the GHI 2024
Child Malnutrition and Mortality
- Child Malnutrition: Alarmingly high rates with approximately 35.5% of children under five being stunted and 18.7% wasted.
- Child Mortality: Despite some progress, about 2.9% of children still die before their fifth birthday, with malnutrition being a significant contributing factor.
India’s Performance Trends
- Minimal Improvement: India’s GHI score moved from 29.3 in 2016 to 27.3 in 2024, showing minimal progress with persistent challenges in reducing overall hunger.
- Regional Comparison: India’s performance is notably poorer than neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh, which have fewer economic resources but better GHI scores.
Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in India
Need of All Rounded Solutions
- Economically Insufficient: India’s earnest battle with hunger reveals that only economic growth is not a panacea to hunger.
- Need for Wider View: Solutions to the challenges of malnutrition are not in one sector alone and all must be involved.
Appropriate Strategies for Policy Implementation
- Food Security: Persistent vigilance is needed to make certain that all, especially women and children, access adequate and nutritious food.
- Access to Health Services: More investment in health care infrastructure is largely necessary for effective maternal and child health and nutrition service delivery.
- Maternal and Child Nutrition Program: Nutrition of women and children works clearly to provide targeted upturn within the vicious circle of nutritional deficiency.
- Major Programs: Initiatives such as the National Food security Act (NFSA) and PM POSHAN Scheme helps in gaps related to access and quality of food safety in India.
-Source: The Hindu
