Global Hunger Index–Is it a conspiracy to malign India’s image?

Global Hunger Index–Is it a conspiracy to malign India’s image!

KAKALI DAS

Last week, global hunger index was released for the year 2022.

India was placed at 107 out of 121 countries, which obviously led to strong reaction, not because of rank, but because it defamed our country.

Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh were placed higher in the list – 64, 81, 84 respectively, only Afghanistan performed worse – positioned at 109, on the index, in Asia.

Now, will they start comparing us to Taliban ran Afghanistan? Even, Pakistan is ranked 99, higher than us.

So, obviously, it is a fraud ranking system, isn’t it?

And hence, even Centre said – It is an attempt to tarnish India’s image.

Global Hunger Index is published annually by Welthungerhilfe and Concern worldwide. Welthungerhilfe is a largest private aid agency in Germany, founded in 1962 – it works to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of “Zero Hunger by 2030”.

In order to achieve zero hunger by 2030, it has provided funding of Euro 4.46 billion to 10,000+ overseas projects in 70 countries.

Joint publisher Concern Worldwide is an International Humanitarian Organization which is fighting hunger and poverty since 1968. Both organizations are contemporaries, and are involved in this for a long time.

Question is – If reputed organizations are trying to “defame” us, then what is their reason behind it?

The Methodology

The government points at a flawed methodology – but why? The report outlines hunger not by one, but as a culmination of many contributing factors.

First factor is undernourishment (calorie intake). This basic definition of hunger forms only 1/3 of the hunger index score. Second factor is child stunting – kids with low height for their age signifies chronic under-nutrition. This is 1/6 of hunger index score.

Third is child wasting – kids with low weight for their height forms 1/6 of hunger index score. Last factor is child mortality – kids who died prematurely before their 5^th birthday. This is influenced by the environment a child is brought up in as well as nutrition. This factor forms 1/3 of hunger index score. The overall score is 100 – the lower, the better. India is in a section of 20-25, which is a serious category.

• Calorie deficiency – to measure nutrition intake.
• Food access – whether child is able to access food.
• Nutrition status – of all sections of society is studied.
• Illness and Cognitive Development is an important measure for proper nutrition
• Mortality

These above mentioned factors paint a holistic picture. When there are these many factors, the precision is more in the measurement. World Bank stopped the ease of doing business report, as probe found data juggling.

GHI – The Good & The Bad

There are some positives also, amidst the ocean of negatives – it’s not like India didn’t improve at all. Under five mortalities have improved. Same development is recorded in child stunting factor. Unfortunately, the bad cannot be ignored. Proportion of undernourished population has gone up. Child wasting has increased – meaning, kids weighing less for their height has increased. India’s child wasting is worst in the world with 19%. That is why, overall ranking of India suffered.

One thing to understand is – not to get triggered by a report, saying, ‘we export wheat’, but that doesn’t solve nutrition problem.

Reasons for low rank

1. Poor access to healthcare
2. Inadequate caring and feeding practices
3. Poor food security
4. Lack of sanitary environment
5. Poor diet, which makes kids prone to infection and disease, and lack of healthcare may lead to mortality

Government’s response to all

The response by government is same as last year – rejecting hunger index report by saying ‘it is biased and erroneous’. Same response to Democracy Index as well – said the reports were “inaccurate and distorted”. Government has also rejected World Press Freedom Index findings. Happiness Index also yielded same angry reactions. Similarly, Hunger Index 2022 was also rubbished.

Government’s contention on GHI

1. Consistent effort to malign India’s image
2. Misinformation is the hallmark of methodology

– Govt. says that it is the erroneous measure of hungertaking in diverse factors.

– Focus is only on children and not on entire population, govt. said.

– Small sample of 3000 people makes little sense, says Govt.

• Govt. assistance has been neglected, biased and disconnected from ground reality.

Aid by the Govt.

• Food, free of cost, to over 80 crore citizens since March 2020
• Supplementary nutrition for 1.78 crore women
• 7.7 crore kids benefitted from Anganwadi scheme
• Monetary help of Rs. 5000 to 1.5 crore new mothers

Then, why is the rank low when this much has been done by the govt.?Researchers say that our rank could be even lower had govt. not stepped in and provided the aforementioned help to citizens during pandemic. We seem to have forgotten the time of pandemic, but it drove millions to poverty. No doubt, govt. took steps to uplift people. Besides, we have also forgotten that not merely eating, but the type and variety of nutrition are also important. As far as sample size is concerned, the researchers of GHI says – the data was provided by the govt.

Malnutrition in kids is a key contributing factor – if children cannot have proper nutrition, how can adults?

Does GHI malign India’s Image?

Global Hunger Index was started back in 2006. India has performed badly before too, and the then govt. admitted it. Then, why is the current government opposing it now?

In a similar 2012 report, Hunger & Malnutrition Survey, 42% Indian kids were found malnourished. Over 40 per cent of children, under 5 years, in 100 focus districts in India were underweight – double the average for sub-Saharan Africa – and 59 per cent stunted – revealed the survey report on hunger and malnutrition released by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. That time, Manmohan Singh wasn’t triggered. He commented: I have said earlier on a number of occasions and I repeat that the problem of malnutrition is a matter of national shame. Despite impressive growth in our GDP (gross domestic product), the level of under-nutrition in the country is unacceptably high. We have also not succeeded in reducing this rate fast enough.

Reports published in India

For a moment, let’s assume global hunger index is fake and a conspiracy against us.

What about the NFHS data by the government?

1 in 3 children below 5 years of age is stunted and underweight, govt. data says.

You will not find this on the 9 am news shows by the so-called news channels – but reports clearly point to the truth.

India loses 4% GDP and 8% productivity due to child malnutrition. 35.5% of children under five are stunted in the country. Govt. surveys (NFHS) prove the same. Similarly, international agencies publish the report. If we acknowledge the problem publicly, it will encourage to act faster.

If we say, Global Hunger Index, NFHS, UNICEF reports are all wrong, then solution will never be found. 70 years old problem has to be deal with honesty.

• We need to give up the persecution complex – no one is trying to defame us.
• Ensure high standards of nutrition. Which rank is acceptable to you with such low level of nutrition, if not 107?
• Health expenditure has to be increased in terms of GDP

These reports and rankings must be studied. Because ignoring data will only make rank worse.

25-10-2022

[Images from different sources]

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