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.
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.
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.
