India has to go a long way to achieve zero hunger enshrined under Sustainable Development Goals. Discuss it with respect to the recent Global Hunger Index Report.
Refer - Business Standard
IAS Parliament 7 years
KEY POINTS
· Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has recently released the Global Hunger Index (GHI) report.
· India's 100th rank among 119 countries calls for serious attention to the issue.
· India is at the high end of the “serious” category.
The GHI score is a multidimensional index composed of four indicators:
· Proportion of undernourished in the population.
· Mortality rate of children under the age of five (deaths per 1000 live births).
· Proportion of children under five suffering from wasting (low weight for height).
· Proportion of children under five suffering from stunting (lower height than typical for age).
Anomalies
· Despite the relative progress over the years, the numbers remain still high for child wasting and stunting.
Causes
· Household's poor access to sanitation, is said to be the prime cause for child wasting and stunting.
· Poor sanitation causes poor absorption of nutrients.
· The ill-effects of open defecation and water contamination are hampering the possible positive results of nutrients intake.
· Water-borne diseases like diarrhoea have been responsible for most of the under-5 deaths.
Way ahead
· It is essential for India to take measures on improving sanitation and fighting related infections.
· The children and their caregivers should be trained to follow hygienic practices and take healthy foods.
· Inequality in all its forms must be addressed to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Zero Hunger for everyone by 2030.
· This can not only improve India's ranking but also render meaningful its efforts on food security.
Ravi 7 years
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IAS Parliament 7 years
