Global Hunger Index-2024

Why in the news?

In the recently released Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2024, India is ranked 105th among 127 countries.

Key points:

• India was ranked 111th among 125 countries in the year 2023 and 107th among 121 countries in the year 2022.
• In this index of the year 2024, Nepal is at number 68, Sri Lanka at 56 and Bangladesh at 84. That is, the condition of these countries is better than us.
  • Pakistan's ranking is 109.
• 22 countries including China, UAE and Kuwait are ranked first in this index.
• India's score in the Hunger Index of the year 2024 is 27.3, which remains serious.

India's score on all parameters in the 2024 index:

India's rank in the last 10 years:

Global Hunger Index (GHI):

• It gives information about the situation of hunger in the countries.
• Its list is prepared every year by a European NGO called Concern Worldwide and World Hunger Help (Welthungerhilfe in Germany).
• It is prepared after assessing 4 parameters in different countries around the world.
• In this index, countries which have a low GHI score also have a low ranking, which means people there are less hungry.

How is the GHI score calculated?

• The GHI score of each country is calculated on 4 parameters of 3 dimensions.
  • Undernourishment (1)
  • Infant mortality rate (2)
  • Child undernutrition
    • Child wasting (3)
    • Child stunting (4)
• All these three dimensions are given a standard score of 100 points.
• In this score, Undernourishment, infant mortality rate and child undernutrition account for one-third each.
• On the score scale, 0 is the best score, while 100 is the worst.

Undernourishment:

• A healthy person does not get the required calories for the whole day.

Infant mortality rate:

• The number of children per thousand births who die within 5 years of birth.

Child undernutrition:

• It falls into 2 categories-
• Child wasting:
  • The child is very thin or weak for his age.
  • Children below 5 years of age whose weight is less than their height.
  • This shows that those children did not get enough nutrition and hence they became weak.
• Child stunting:
  • Children whose height is less than their age.
  • Height is directly related to nutrition.