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Global Hunger Index 2024 (GHI)

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October 17, 2024

Why in News?

Recently , Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024 has been published.

What are the components of  Global Hunger Index?

  • GHI - It is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
  • Released by -  Concern Worldwide , an Irish humanitarian organisation, and Welthungerhilfe, a German aid agency.
  • GHI scores are based on the values of four component indicators.
  • Undernourishment -The share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
  • Child Stunting - The share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
  • Child Wasting - The share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
  • Child Mortality - The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

1

What is the hunger level of India?

  • India’s GHI 2024 Rank - India ranks 105th  out of the 127 countries with a score of 27.3.
  • Hunger Status - Severe
  • As per the report , about 200 million people i.e  14% of India’s existing population is undernourished.

2

  • Data Used - It considers the Sample Registration System statistical reports released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation publishes annually.
  • India’s Undernutrition ( As per the report)
    • Infant mortality Rate-  was 26 per 1,000 live births in 2022, while the global average was 28.
    • Underniourishment - 13.7% of the population
    • Child Stunting - 35.5% of children
    • Child Wasting - 18.7% of children
    • Child Mortality - 2.9% of children dying before their fifth birthday.
  • Contention by India - Ministry of Women and Child Development had expressed concerns about the data not being accessed from their ICT application ‘Poshan Tracker’.
  • Difference in Data – Government data on child wasting  was 7.2% while the report states 18.7% .

What are the reasons?

  • Systemic Failure - GDP growth alone does not result in improved food and nutritional security for the entire populace.

India was the world’s fastest growing economy , at 6.8% in FY24, with an estimated GDP of almost $4 trillion, ranking fifth globally.

  • Low Per Capita Income – India’s per capita income, of $2,485 in FY24, was less than a fourth of the global average of $13,920 in FY22.
  • Food Inflation - Food inflation more than doubled between FY22 and FY24, from 3.8% to 7.5%, affecting the poor.
  • Impact on Farm Output - Extreme weather events, low reservoir levels and damaged crops, affected farm output.
  • Failure of Safety Net Systems – Inadequate coverage of social security programs.
  • Climate Change - It has already begun to cast a long shadow on India’s food security affecting its productivity.
  • Intergenerational Undernutrition - Poor nutritional status of mothers being transferred onto their children.
  • India’s high child wasting rate entail mothers inflicted with insufficient weight gain during pregnancy and low birth weight among infants.

What needs to be done?

  • Inclusive Development – Enact policies to emphasise pro-poor development alongside addressing social/economic inequalities.
  • Improve access to safety nets - Improve access to programs such as the Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), PMGKAY and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
  • Agri Transformation - Invest in agriculture and a holistic food systems approach to promote diversified, nutritious and ecological food production including nutri-cereals such as millets.
  • Health Improvement - Make effective investments in mother and child health and improve water, sanitation and hygiene.
  • Multifaceted Approach – Engage interventions to consider links between food and nutrition, gender and climate change.
  • Strengthen Existing System – Diversify the food given under ICDS and index the allocation with inflation.

References

  1. The Hindu | Global Hunger Index 2024
  2. The Hindu | Abject Failure
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