The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a comprehensive measure designed to track hunger at the global, regional, and national levels. It uses a 100-point scale to determine the severity of hunger, with zero indicating no hunger while 100 marks the worst hunger situation. The GHI scores are based on four key components: Undernourishment, Child stunting, Child wasting, and Child mortality. It is an annual report developed by European NGOs, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, using data from a five-year period. The latest report, GHI 2022, used data from 2017 to 2021.
Global and Regional Performance in GHI 2022
According to the index, progress against global hunger has largely stagnated in recent years due to overlapping crises such as conflicts, climate change, economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. As of 2022, the global score stands at 18.2, only marginally improved from 19.1 in 2014. Of interest, 44 countries currently fall within the “serious” or “alarming” hunger levels category.
The top performers in GHI 2022 were Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China and Croatia, while Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Central African Republic and Yemen were ranked lowest. In South Asia, India performed worse than all the countries except for war-torn Afghanistan.
India’s Performance in GHI 2022
Out of 121 countries, India ranked 107 in GHI 2022, slipping from its 101 position out of 116 countries in 2021. Among its neighboring countries, India’s score of 29.1 was lower than Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99).
India’s performance in the four key indicators reveals stark contradictions. While Child Wasting (low weight for height) worsened, going from 15.1% in 2014 to 19.3% in 2022, there was an improvement in Child Stunting and Child Mortality rates. Undernourishment also rose, with 224.3 million people considered undernourished as of 2019-2021.
Other Indices Monitoring Hunger and Malnutrition
In addition to the GHI, a few other indices and reports monitor the global situation on hunger and malnutrition. These include the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World presented by several UN agencies, the Global Nutrition Report, and the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) which covers a broad range of health and welfare aspects.
India’s Initiatives to Combat Hunger and Malnutrition
Faced with a major hunger and malnutrition crisis, India has implemented various initiatives. The ‘Eat Right India Movement’ encourages healthier food choices, while the ‘POSHAN Abhiyan’ aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, and anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls.
Meanwhile, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) offers maternity benefits across the country, and efforts are underway to enrich staple foods with key vitamins and minerals through food fortification. Other measures include the National Food Security Act, 2013 which provides subsidised food grains and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme offering a package of six services to children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
Exam Questions on Hunger and Poverty
The relationship between poverty and hunger has been a focus in several examinations, such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Questions range from understanding the indicators used to compute the GHI to evaluating the efforts of successive governments in addressing these challenges and suggesting potential solutions.
While progress has been made in some areas, hunger and malnutrition remain critical challenges both globally and especially in India. Concerted efforts are needed, particularly in South Asia, to ensure significant improvements and meet global hunger reduction targets by 2030.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024