The recent Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 has ranked India at the 101st position out of 116 countries, down from its 94th position in 2020. This article delves into the details of this report and the factors contributing to India’s rank.
About the Global Hunger Index
Jointly published annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe since 2006, the GHI aims to measure and track hunger at global, regional, and country levels. The report is released every October, and the 2021 edition marks its 16th publication.
Methodology behind the Index
The GHI is calculated based on four indicators: undernourishment, child wasting, child stunting, and child mortality. Undernourishment represents the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake. Child wasting and stunting represent children under five who have low weight or height for their age due to acute or chronic undernutrition, respectively. The child mortality rate corresponds to deaths of children under the age of five. These indicators are used to generate a score on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best possible score (no hunger) and 100 being the worst. Countries are categorized by severity, from low to extremely alarming.
Data Collection for the Index
Data for undernourishment comes from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, while child mortality data is sourced from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). Information about child wasting and stunting is drawn from the joint database of UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank, among others.
Global Scenario
Currently, the fight against hunger is off track. Based on the GHI projections, the world, especially 47 countries, will not achieve a low level of hunger by 2030. Food security is being threatened by worsening conflicts, climate change, and the economic and health challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The global prevalence of undernourishment is on the rise, which could indicate reversals in other aspects of hunger. Inequality is pervasive, hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to “leave no one behind”. Africa south of the Sahara and South Asia have the highest hunger levels.
India’s Scenario
Despite making substantial progress since 2000, India still faces critical issues, especially in child nutrition. India’s GHI score has decreased from 38.8 points in 2000 (considered alarming) to 27.5 points in 2021 (considered serious). While the rate of undernourished in the population and the under-five mortality rate are now low, child stunting, despite seeing a significant decrease, is still very high. India has the highest rate of child wasting among all countries included in the GHI. According to the index, only 15 countries are worse than India. India also lags behind most of its neighbouring countries.
The Government of India’s Stand
The Ministry of Women and Child Development criticises the GHI report’s methodology, calling it unscientific. They argue that the GHI report and the FAO report on ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021’ have disregarded the government’s efforts to ensure food security during the Covid-19 era through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) and Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme (ANBS).
Related Initiatives by India
India has launched several initiatives to improve nutrition. These include the Eat Right India Movement by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), POSHAN Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Food Fortification, National Food Security Act, 2013, Mission Indradhanush, and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme. These programmes aim to reduce undernutrition, anemia, child and maternal mortality, and encourage proper nutrition and immunization against Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD).