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India Slips Further on Global Hunger Index 2023: Grave Concerns
Global Hunger Index 2023
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 was recently released, sparking discussions about the state of hunger and malnutrition worldwide. India’s poor performance and ranking in the index has made GHI 2023 particularly newsworthy.
| Sections | Details |
|---|---|
| India’s Ranking and Score |
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| Key Statistics |
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| India’s Historical Performance |
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| Government’s Concerns |
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| Global Hunger Trends |
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| Way Forward |
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Overview of Global Hunger Index 2023
- India’s ranking and score
- Comparison with other countries
India ranked 111th out of 121 countries in GHI 2023 with a score of 28.7, categorizing India’s hunger level as “serious”.
This is a stark decline from India’s 2022 ranking of 107th out of 121 countries. India’s neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka fared better at 102nd, 81st, 69th and 60th place respectively.
Global Hunger Index (GHI) Overview
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Publication | Jointly published annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe |
| Scale | Measures hunger on a 100-point scale (0 best, 100 worst) |
| Purpose | Measures and tracks global hunger, triggers action to reduce hunger |
| Indicators | 1. Undernourishment 2. Child Wasting 3. Child Stunting 4. Child Mortality |
Components and Methodology of Global Hunger Index
- Publication details
- Indicators used and their significance
- Calculation methodology
The GHI is jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
It measures hunger on a 100-point scale using four key indicators – undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting and child mortality.
A higher GHI score indicates more severe hunger levels, with 0 being the best possible score and 100 being the worst.
The four indicators comprehensively capture the multidimensional nature of hunger.
The index aims to trigger action to reduce hunger globally through its country, regional and global level tracking.
Key Statistics for India as per GHI 2023
- Undernourishment rate
- Child wasting rate
- Child mortality rate
- Anemia prevalence
India’s undernourishment rate stands at 16.6% as per the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023, indicating the prevalence of inadequate food intake.
Child wasting rate is reported to be extremely high in India at 18.7%, the highest in the world. This signals alarming acute undernutrition among children.
Under-five mortality rate stands at 3.1%, reflecting nutritional deficiencies and inadequate health environment for children.
Prevalence of anemia among women aged 15-24 years is a major concern highlighted by the report at 58.1%.
Hunger in India: Key Statistics
| Parameter | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Hunger Level | Serious (score: 28.7) |
| Child Wasting Rate | 18.7% |
| Undernourishment Rate | 16.6% |
| Child Mortality (under-five) | 3.1% |
| Anemia Among Women (aged 15-24) | 58.1% |
India’s Performance Over the Years
- Trend in India’s GHI scores and rankings since 2000
India made significant improvements between 2000 to 2015, with its GHI score declining from 38.4 in 2000 to 29.2 in 2015.
However, over the past eight years, India has only managed to improve its GHI score by 0.5 points, showcasing a halt in its hunger reduction efforts.
Concerns Raised by Government of India
- Issues with methodology and data
- Discrepancies highlighted
The Indian government contends that the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 suffers from methodological flaws and inaccuracies.
It highlighted discrepancies in child wasting statistics between GHI and Poshan tracker data.
The government also questioned GHI’s child mortality linkage with hunger and the limited sample size for undernourishment data.
Indian Government’s Response to GHI 2023
| Criticism | Details |
|---|---|
| Disputed Ranking | Rejected due to methodological concerns and alleged malicious intent |
| Methodological Issues | 3 out of 4 indicators pertain to child health, not representative of entire population |
| Sample Size | Small sample size (3,000) for “Proportion of Undernourished Population” indicator |
| Child Wasting Discrepancy | Poshan Tracker reports <7.2% versus GHI’s 18.7% |
| Child Mortality Link | Challenges the idea that child mortality is solely due to hunger |
Overall, the government states that GHI does not accurately depict India’s hunger and nutrition status.
Global Hunger Trends
- Stagnation in hunger reduction globally
- Impact of recent crises
The GHI 2023 highlights a worrying stagnation in global hunger reduction efforts. After considerable progress until 2015, the world’s GHI score in 2023 is 18.3, just marginally below the 2015 score of 19.1.
This halt is attributed to challenges like climate change, conflicts, economic shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These have intensified inequalities and reversed previous gains.
Way Forward
- Need for comprehensive action
- Focus on child nutrition
- Building resilience against shocks
Comprehensive action is needed to tackle India’s persistent hunger and undernutrition challenges, especially child wasting and undernourishment.
A strong policy focus must be placed on improving child nutrition levels in India. Steps against child stunting and wasting should be prioritized.
Building resilience of vulnerable populations against economic and climatic shocks can help prevent reversal of progress.
Final Thoughts
- Summarize key takeaways
- Emphasize significance of issue for India
GHI 2023 serves as a stark reminder of India’s nutritional deficiencies and need for targeted hunger alleviation policies.
India must learn from its past successes between 2005-2015 and revitalize efforts to ensure food security and adequate nutrition for its population.
