{"id":42914,"date":"2024-10-12T06:59:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-12T01:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=42914"},"modified":"2025-05-05T21:30:56","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T16:00:56","slug":"global-hunger-index-ghi-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/global-hunger-index-ghi-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is the GHI?<\/li>\n<li>Highlights of the 19th GHI 2024<\/li>\n<li>India Specific Findings in the GHI 2024<\/li>\n<li>India&#8217;s Performance Trends in the GHI<\/li>\n<li>Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>India&#8217;s struggle with hunger and malnutrition has been underscored by its ranking in the <strong>2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI),<\/strong> where it stands <strong>105th out of 127 countries <\/strong>with a score of 27.3, categorising it in the <strong>&#8216;serious&#8217; range<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies globally, India continues to lag behind several of its South Asian neighbours, highlighting the urgent need for effective interventions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What is the GHI?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"image image_resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/How_the_GHI_is_Calculated_8a736f4dbb.webp\" alt=\"How the GHI is Calculated.webp\" \/><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>The GHI is <strong>a peer-reviewed annual publication designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels<\/strong>, reflecting multiple dimensions of hunger over time.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Created in 2006<\/strong>, the GHI was initially published by the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Germany-based Welthungerhilfe. In 2007, the Irish NGO Concern Worldwide also became a co-publisher.<\/li>\n<li><strong>In 2018<\/strong>, IFPRI withdrew from the project and the GHI became a joint project of <strong>Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>The GHI is intended to &#8211;\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Raise awareness<\/strong> and understanding of the struggle against hunger,<\/li>\n<li><strong>Provide a way to compare<\/strong> levels of hunger between countries and regions, and<\/li>\n<li><strong>Call attention<\/strong> to those areas of the world where hunger levels are highest and where the need for additional efforts to eliminate hunger is greatest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Highlights of the 19th GHI 2024:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"image image_resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/GHI_2024_0c83043d9e.webp\" alt=\"GHI 2024.webp\" \/><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Theme:<\/strong> The theme for the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) is &#8220;How gender justice can advance climate resilience and zero hunger&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Global hunger statistics:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Current GHI score: <\/strong>18.3, shows a slight improvement from 2016&#8217;s score of 18.8.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vulnerable populations:<\/strong> 2.8 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regional disparities in hunger:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sub-Saharan Africa:<\/strong> Highest rates of malnutrition and child mortality globally and ongoing conflicts in Somalia and Sudan exacerbate hunger crises.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Asia: <\/strong>Countries like Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan are facing substantial hunger challenges.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Issues:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Difficulties in achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger by 2030): <\/strong>The GHI 2024 reveals that 42 countries face alarming or serious hunger levels, marking a stagnation in the fight against hunger despite decades of progress.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gender disparity: <\/strong>Women are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity due to discriminatory norms and violence, limiting their access to resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Underlying causes of hunger:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Climate change and environmental degradation<\/strong> impacts food production and threatens the natural foundations of economies and agriculture.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Armed conflicts <\/strong>lead to significant displacement and disruption in food systems and affect cultivation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lower-income countries struggle with debt<\/strong>, diverting funds away from critical development needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Success stories amidst the crisis: <\/strong>Countries like <strong>Mozambique and Nepal<\/strong> have achieved significant improvements in their GHI scores since 2016, showcasing that progress is possible.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A call to action:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The GHI 2024 underscores the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address the intersecting crises of climate change, armed conflict, gender inequality and economic instability.<\/li>\n<li>It emphasises the importance of supporting vulnerable populations, particularly women, in the fight against hunger.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>India Specific Findings in the GHI 2024:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Alarming child malnutrition rates:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Approximately 35.5% of children under five are stunted, indicating chronic undernutrition, while 18.7% are wasted, a sign of acute malnutrition.<\/li>\n<li>These figures reflect<strong> a significant lack of adequate nutrition during crucial developmental periods<\/strong>, severely impacting children&#8217;s physical and cognitive growth.<\/li>\n<li>Furthermore, around 13.7% of the overall population suffers from undernourishment, which remains a persistent issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Child mortality rates:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>While there has been some progress in reducing child mortality, with 2.9% of children dying before their fifth birthday, the overall hunger situation remains dire.<\/li>\n<li>The interplay between malnutrition and child mortality underscores the need for immediate action.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>India&#8217;s Performance Trends in the GHI:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Minimal improvement over the decade:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>There is a stagnation in India\u2019s performance as it moved from a score of <strong>29.3 in 2016 to 27.3 in 2024<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Although there have been gains in certain areas, such as child mortality rates, the overarching issue of hunger persists.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>India vs. neighbours:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/GHI_2024_India_vs_Neighbours_1285c4e39b.webp\" alt=\"GHI 2024 - India vs Neighbours.webp\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When compared to neighbouring countries like <strong>Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh<\/strong> &#8211; <strong>each of which has fewer economic resources<\/strong> &#8211; India&#8217;s performance on the GHI is particularly alarming.<\/li>\n<li>This indicates that economic growth alone does not necessarily lead to improved nutritional outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in India:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The need for comprehensive solutions:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>India&#8217;s GHI score serves as a stark reminder that economic advancement is insufficient for eradicating hunger.<\/li>\n<li>A more holistic approach is required to tackle the underlying causes of malnutrition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Effective policy interventions including key focus areas such as:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Food security:<\/strong> Ensuring access to nutritious food for all segments of the population is essential.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Healthcare access: <\/strong>Improving healthcare infrastructure can significantly impact maternal and child health outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Maternal and child nutrition programs:<\/strong> Investing in targeted nutritional programs for mothers and children is vital for breaking the cycle of malnutrition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Some initiatives in India: <\/strong>National Food Security Act (NFSA), PM POSHAN Scheme, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What is the PM POSHAN scheme?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>PM Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN) is a scheme that aims to improve the nutritional status of children in government and government-aided schools. The scheme was previously known as the National Scheme for Mid-Day Meals in schools (MDM).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. What is the significance of fortification?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of one or more micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals) in a food or condiment to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/nation\/2024\/Oct\/11\/india-ranked-105th-out-of-127-countries-in-global-hunger-index-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">India ranked 105th out of 127 countries in Global Hunger Index 2024<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalhungerindex.org\/methodology.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">GHI<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), India stands 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3, categorising it in the &#8216;serious&#8217; range<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":42915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-42914","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}