2023 Global Hunger Index: The Power of Youth in Shaping Food Systems

FOCUS

Welthungerhilfe, Germany, and Concern Worldwide, Ireland, jointly published this report in October 2023. The first Global Hunger Index (GHI) report was published in the year 2006. This 18th edition reiterates the effect of climate change, covid-19 as well as war and conflict on global food systems and emphasises the importance of youth involvement in governance. The report also measures the progress made towards achieving the second of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – ‘Zero Hunger’. 

Quoting the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, the report states that ‘food deprivation’ or ‘undernourishment’ refers to “the habitual consumption of too few calories to provide the minimum dietary energy an individual requires to live a healthy and productive life, given that person’s sex, age, stature, and physical activity level.” 

The 2023 report calculates the GHI scores for 125 countries and tracks hunger at global, regional and national levels. It gives each country a score which measures hunger on a 100-point scale, ranging from ‘low’ (less than or equal to the score of 9.9), ‘moderate’ (10-19.9), ‘serious’ (20-34.9), ‘alarming’ (35-49.9) to ‘extremely alarming’ (greater than or equal to 50). 

The GHI is calculated using four indicators: ‘undernourishment’ (the share of the population whose caloric intake is insufficient), ‘child wasting’ (the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition), ‘child stunting’ (the share of children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition), and ‘child mortality’ (the mortality rate of children under the age of five). 

This report uses data collected by various United Nations agencies – including the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Interagency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, World Health Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund – and other organisations such as the World Bank.

    FACTOIDS

  1. In 2023, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) score stands at 18.3, which is categorized as ‘moderate’, showing a very slight decrease of less than one point compared to the 2015 global score of 19.1.

  2. In the 2023 GHI report, India is ranked 111 out of 125 countries, with a GHI score of 28.7. This score is a slight improvement from the 2022 index, where India had a score of 29.1

  3. In 2023, nine countries (Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Niger, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen) face ‘alarming’ levels of hunger, the report states. An additional 34 countries grapple with ‘serious’ hunger issues.

  4. Since 2015, of the countries categorised having ‘moderate’, ‘serious’ or ‘alarming’ scores, 18 have witnessed increased hunger, while 14 made minimal progress. Regrettably, at the current rate, 58 countries are unlikely to achieve low hunger levels even by 2030.

  5. As many as 20 countries – including China, Kuwait, Turkey and United Arab Emirates – ranked highest on the GHI with scores of less than five. On the other hand, the countries ranking lowest were Central African Republic (42.3), Madagascar (41), Yemen (39.9), Democratic Republic of Congo (35.7) and Lesotho (35.5).

  6. India’s score on the indicator of ‘undernourishment’ was 16.6 for the time period of 2020-22. The country scored 18.7 on the ‘child wasting’ indicator and 35.5 on the ‘child stunting’ indicator for 2017-22. Under the ‘child mortality’ indicator, India scored 3.1.

  7. South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara were the regions with the highest and GHI scores in 2023 – 27 each. They were followed by West Asia and North Africa (11.9), Latin America and the Caribbean (8.6) and East and Southeast Asia (8.3). Europe and Central Asia scored 6.1 on the 2023 GHI.

  8. Among countries in South Asia, Afghanistan (ranked 114 overall) had the highest GHI score (30.6). It was followed by India (ranked 111 with a score of 28.7), Pakistan (ranked 102 with a score of 26.6), Bangladesh (ranked 81 with a score of 19), Nepal (ranked 69 with a score of 15) and Sri Lanka (ranked 60 with a score of 13.3).

  9. The ‘child wasting’ rate in South Asia was 14.8 per cent in 2022 – the highest in the world and more than two times the rate in Africa South of the Sahara (6 per cent). High prevalence of child wasting at birth and infancy suggests that poor maternal nutrition is a crucial contributing factor.

  10. The report reveals that one in three women in low- and middle-income countries give birth to their first child at 19 years or younger. Maternal undernutrition, characterised by low weight and height, is linked to poor nutrition in children.

  11. The report mentions that in 2022, around 735 million individuals experienced hunger, while over 3.1 billion people lacked the means to access nutritionally rich diets.

  12. The report's recommendations include prioritising the right to food. It recognises young people as future leaders and protectors of the world's resources, and advocates for investments in sustainable, fair food systems to ensure the livelihoods of young individuals.


    Focus and Factoids by Madhumita Rajgopal.

     

    PARI Library’s health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India.

AUTHOR

Klaus von Grebmer, Jill Bernstein, Miriam Wiemers, Laura Reiner, Marilena Bachmeier, Asja Hanano, Réiseal Ní Chéilleachair, Connell Foley, Tim Sheehan, Seth Gitter, Grace Larocque, Heidi Fritschel, Wendy Geza, and Mendy Ndlovu

COPYRIGHT

Concern Worldwide, Ireland; Welthungerhilfe, Germany

PUBLICATION DATE

Oct, 2023

TAGS

#healthcare #hunger #health #global-hunger #children #childrens-health #covid-19 #pari-health-archive

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