What does the Global Hunger Index 2024 state about India?
Context:
The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) , ranks India, 105th out of 127th countries, falling under “serious” category with 41 other nations, including Pakistan and Afghanistan
- It highlights child malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, and undernourishment, despite the country’s economic progress.
Relevance:
GS-02 (Growth and Development, Health)
Dimensions of the Article
- India’s Hunger and Malnutrition Crisis
- The Disconnect Between GDP Growth and Hunger Reduction
- Proposed Solutions to Tackle Hunger
- Debate on Data Collection Methods
India’s Hunger and Malnutrition Crisis:
- India’s GHI score reflects alarming levels of hunger, with 13.7% of its population undernourished.
- Findings from the report-
- 35.5% of children under five suffer from stunting (low height for age).
- 18.7% experience wasting (low weight for height).
- 2.9% of children die before reaching their fifth birthday, showcasing the severe undernutrition and health challenges in the country.
- India also holds the highest child wasting rate in the world, indicating a critical public health issue.
- Factors Behind Child Malnutrition:
- Role of mothers: Poor maternal health of many mothers during pregnancy leads to low birth weights in infants. It also results in stunting and wasting, as nutrition deficits are passed from one generation to the next.
- National Efforts to Combat Hunger:
- National Food Security Act
- Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission)
- PM Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKAY).
- However, the GHI report argues that these efforts still needs improvement in terms of meeting nutritional needs of vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
The Disconnect Between GDP Growth and Hunger Reduction:
- The growth of a country does not always reflect its better food security.
- The assumption that higher GDP will reduce hunger is not always true, as in the India’s case which is clearly visible in rural areas of the country where poverty remains a hurdle in accessing nutritious food.
- The GHI report suggests that economic growth must be paired with targeted pro-poor policies so that it meets marginalized communities needs.
- The report also shows India’s high levels of inequality (Income and access to resources) that acts as a catalyst to increase the hunger problem.
Proposed Solutions to Tackle Hunger:
- Strengthening Social Safety Nets: Public Distribution System (PDS), PM Garib Kalyan Yojna, and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) needs to be more efficient in reaching those most in need.
- Investing in Agriculture and Food Systems: Priority should be given to growing more nutritious and climate-resilient crops like millets.
- Improving Maternal and Child Health: To break the cycle of intergenerational malnutrition, the report emphasizes the need for investments in maternal and child health. This includes improving access to healthcare, better water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, as well as nutritional programs targeting pregnant women and young children. Addressing these underlying factors is crucial to reducing child wasting and stunting rates.
Debate on Data Collection Methods
- The Ministry of Women and Child Development blames about the discrepancies between the GHI’s figures and the data from India’s Poshan Tracker, which consistently shows a much lower child wasting rate.
- According to the ministry, child wasting has been below 7.2% in India, contrary to the 18.7% stated by the GHI.
- On the other hand, the GHI researchers defend their methodology, stating that they rely on globally recognized data sources like UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank.
- They argue that using comparable data across countries is crucial to maintaining consistency and fairness in global rankings.
- Changing the data sources for individual countries would compromise the index’s credibility and comparability.
Way Forward
- India should work on improving its programs like PDS, PMGKAY, and ICDS and priorities should be made to reach the rural areas and the most vulnerable populations.
- The government should also focus on promoting proper nutrition during pregnancy for mothers and later to the child after the birth.
- India should continue to improve its own data collection systems, like the Poshan Tracker, to monitor progress on key health and nutrition indicators.
