Global Hunger Index (GHI) : A quick introduction

Recently India was ranked 103 out of 119 countries in the Global Hunger index which categorizes India under “Serious” levels of hunger as per the survey and report.

Global Hunger Index
Picture Credits: Bhaskar.com

Belarus was placed at top most position as the country with least hunger issues in the same index which is a tool that measures hunger globally, country wise.
This index was created in 2006, the GHI was at first published by the International Food Policy Research Institute and Welthungerhilfe. In 2007, Concern Worldwide (an Irish NGO) also became a co-publisher. In 2018, the GHI was a joint project of Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide with IFPRI moving out of the picture.
Global Hunger Index is calculated annually with the report getting published in the month of October every year. Besides declaring GHI scores, every year the GHI report also includes an essay portraying and presenting one particular aspect of hunger. The 2018 report which is the 13th edition of the report, considers the issue of forced migration and hunger. This index represents various methodologies of calculation of numerical value on the basis of several aspects of global hunger nationally and regionally.
The 2018 report shows that in many countries and in terms of the global average, hunger and under nutrition has improved and there is a slight change in the hunger level but in some parts there is no change/improvement in the nutrition level. Since 2010, 16 countries have seen no change or an increase in their GHI levels.
The Index ranks countries on a 100-point scale, with 0 being the best score on the scale of 100 (no hunger) and 100 being the worst. Values from 0 to 9.9 represent low hunger, values from 10.0 to 19.9 show moderate hunger, values from 20.0 to 34.9 reflects serious hunger, values from 35.0 to 49.9 reflect alarming hunger, and values of 50.0 or more reflect extremely alarming hunger levels.

The Global Hunger Index combines 4 major indicators for the measurement of hunger:

  1.  Proportion of the undernourished as a percentage of the population.
  2. Proportion of children under the age of five suffering from wasting.
  3. Proportion of children under the age of five suffering from stunting.
  4. Mortality rate of children under the age of five.

With India being the emerging fastest growing economy in the world and with IMF projecting 7.3 percent growth in FY 2018-2019 , it comes as a major shock that 1 out of 5 children under the age five in this country have lower weight compared to their height which points towards mal nourishment, deprivation of food and lack of resources. For a country that is dying of hunger and deprivation, alleviation of poverty stands as the major challenge in India.

Happy Reading!

Team Banker forum

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