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The latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2023 has placed India at the 111th position, raising concerns from various quarters. Promptly, the Indian government challenged the credibility of this ranking, asserting that it is an unreliable measure of hunger due to methodological deficiencies and even stating that the report ‘shows a mala-fide intent’.
In anticipation of such scepticism, international organisations, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and Concern Worldwide which brought this report issued comprehensive FAQs for India, drawing upon sources from both government and UN agencies to substantiate the ranking and the data employed.
The GHI evaluates a country's score based on four critical indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. While it may be inappropriate to allege mala fide intent of the two highly respected international organisations, valid apprehensions persist regarding the GHI, stemming from three key factors.
First, the undernourishment data, a cornerstone of the index, relies on a Gallup World Poll with a mere 3,000 respondents. Household consumption surveys, which have not been conducted since 2011, are a primary source of data. This limited sample size and reliance on a constrained set of questions introduce biases that fail to capture the intricate nuances of India's food situation.
Over the years, India has made considerable progress in augmenting per capita food availability, doubling from 800 grams to 1.6 kilograms per person per day since 1950. Furthermore, India's food exports surged to an impressive $23.6 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. This economic growth ought to translate into a substantially lower GHI score of say 5.0, perhaps aligning more closely with countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, or Vietnam, rather than the reported 16.6.
Second, the report highlights India's alarming child wasting rate of 18.7%, the highest globally, and a child stunting rate of 35.5%, ranking 15th highest. These figures are drawn from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 data. In stark contrast, real-time data from the Ministry of Women and Child Development's Poshan Tracker reports a wasting rate of 7.1% as of April 2023. This disparity raises legitimate doubts about the credibility of NFHS data, indicating that it may not accurately depict the current scenario.
Third, in its justification for data on stunting (height-for-age) and wasting (weight-for-age), the report quotes the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) undertaken between 1997 and 2003 to generate new growth curves for assessing the growth and development of infants and young children around the world. It is based on primary growth data and related information from approximately 8500 children from widely different ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the USA). In India, the study covered affluent children from Southern India mostly inhabited Punjabi whose average height is significantly an average about five inches more than that in Nagaland. A more accurate representation would be a score of stunting at 8.0 aligning with figures from countries like Sri Lanka.
Further, it is important to recognise that indicators such as wasting and stunting result from intricate interactions among genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors. Genetics account for 80% of height and weight determination, with nutrition and the environment contributing the remaining 20%. This height and weight variability is evident not only between countries but also within India itself.
Moreover, India's under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) stands at 3.1%. While there is room for improvement, scant evidence supports the notion that child mortality solely results from hunger. Diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections emerge as the primary causes of under-5 fatalities in India, overshadowing malnutrition.
Considering these factors, a revised analysis posits that India's overall GHI score should be 9.1, positioning it at the 48th rank in the Global Hunger Index. This score offers a more accurate reflection of India's food security situation and casts serious doubts on the precision and relevance of GHI metrics in portraying India's correct status.
India, a nation known for its agricultural prowess and food surplus status, is home to over 1.4 billion people. The country has implemented robust safety net programs, such as the Public Distribution System, serving more than 880 million people with free rations. Initiatives like the Integrated Child Services Program and PM Poshan aim to enhance nutrition among preschool and school-age children. These endeavours, in conjunction with India's economic growth, present a more optimistic view of the country's food security situation than the GHI ranking would suggest.
India has demonstrated significant political will and government action to transform its food and nutrition landscape. However, the use of erroneous and obsolete data frustrates these efforts and hinders progress in addressing the issues of the poor and hungry. This situation can lead to the government feeling discouraged in its endeavours.
In response, the two organisations involved need to critically re-evaluate their methods and data sources. Simultaneously, there is a pressing need for improved and real-time data from the Indian Government, coupled with closer coordination with international organizations, particularly the FAO and the WHO. This collaborative effort is essential to ensure a more accurate representation of India's food security situation and to effectively combat hunger and malnutrition.
While there may not be any malicious intent, it is evident that there are methodological errors and misinterpretations of the underlying data. Additionally, there is a prevailing mind-set issue rooted in stereotypes, where India is often perceived as a nation plagued by widespread child starvation. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that while significant progress has been made, there are still pockets within the country where people go hungry, and children suffer from malnutrition. The challenge lies in identifying these specific areas and taking immediate steps to combat hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.
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In anticipation of such scepticism, international organisations, Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and Concern Worldwide which brought this report issued comprehensive FAQs for India, drawing upon sources from both government and UN agencies to substantiate the ranking and the data employed.
The GHI evaluates a country's score based on four critical indicators: undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. While it may be inappropriate to allege mala fide intent of the two highly respected international organisations, valid apprehensions persist regarding the GHI, stemming from three key factors.
First, the undernourishment data, a cornerstone of the index, relies on a Gallup World Poll with a mere 3,000 respondents. Household consumption surveys, which have not been conducted since 2011, are a primary source of data. This limited sample size and reliance on a constrained set of questions introduce biases that fail to capture the intricate nuances of India's food situation.
Over the years, India has made considerable progress in augmenting per capita food availability, doubling from 800 grams to 1.6 kilograms per person per day since 1950. Furthermore, India's food exports surged to an impressive $23.6 billion in the fiscal year 2022-23. This economic growth ought to translate into a substantially lower GHI score of say 5.0, perhaps aligning more closely with countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, or Vietnam, rather than the reported 16.6.
Second, the report highlights India's alarming child wasting rate of 18.7%, the highest globally, and a child stunting rate of 35.5%, ranking 15th highest. These figures are drawn from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 data. In stark contrast, real-time data from the Ministry of Women and Child Development's Poshan Tracker reports a wasting rate of 7.1% as of April 2023. This disparity raises legitimate doubts about the credibility of NFHS data, indicating that it may not accurately depict the current scenario.
Third, in its justification for data on stunting (height-for-age) and wasting (weight-for-age), the report quotes the WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS) undertaken between 1997 and 2003 to generate new growth curves for assessing the growth and development of infants and young children around the world. It is based on primary growth data and related information from approximately 8500 children from widely different ethnic backgrounds and cultural settings (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman, and the USA). In India, the study covered affluent children from Southern India mostly inhabited Punjabi whose average height is significantly an average about five inches more than that in Nagaland. A more accurate representation would be a score of stunting at 8.0 aligning with figures from countries like Sri Lanka.
Further, it is important to recognise that indicators such as wasting and stunting result from intricate interactions among genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors. Genetics account for 80% of height and weight determination, with nutrition and the environment contributing the remaining 20%. This height and weight variability is evident not only between countries but also within India itself.
Moreover, India's under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) stands at 3.1%. While there is room for improvement, scant evidence supports the notion that child mortality solely results from hunger. Diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections emerge as the primary causes of under-5 fatalities in India, overshadowing malnutrition.
Considering these factors, a revised analysis posits that India's overall GHI score should be 9.1, positioning it at the 48th rank in the Global Hunger Index. This score offers a more accurate reflection of India's food security situation and casts serious doubts on the precision and relevance of GHI metrics in portraying India's correct status.
India, a nation known for its agricultural prowess and food surplus status, is home to over 1.4 billion people. The country has implemented robust safety net programs, such as the Public Distribution System, serving more than 880 million people with free rations. Initiatives like the Integrated Child Services Program and PM Poshan aim to enhance nutrition among preschool and school-age children. These endeavours, in conjunction with India's economic growth, present a more optimistic view of the country's food security situation than the GHI ranking would suggest.
India has demonstrated significant political will and government action to transform its food and nutrition landscape. However, the use of erroneous and obsolete data frustrates these efforts and hinders progress in addressing the issues of the poor and hungry. This situation can lead to the government feeling discouraged in its endeavours.
In response, the two organisations involved need to critically re-evaluate their methods and data sources. Simultaneously, there is a pressing need for improved and real-time data from the Indian Government, coupled with closer coordination with international organizations, particularly the FAO and the WHO. This collaborative effort is essential to ensure a more accurate representation of India's food security situation and to effectively combat hunger and malnutrition.
While there may not be any malicious intent, it is evident that there are methodological errors and misinterpretations of the underlying data. Additionally, there is a prevailing mind-set issue rooted in stereotypes, where India is often perceived as a nation plagued by widespread child starvation. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that while significant progress has been made, there are still pockets within the country where people go hungry, and children suffer from malnutrition. The challenge lies in identifying these specific areas and taking immediate steps to combat hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.
The True Story: India's Global Hunger Index rank is 48, not 111
The latest Global Hunger Index (GHI) for 2023 has placed India at the 111th position, raising concerns from various quarters. The Indian government challenged the credibility of this ranking, even stating that the report ‘shows a mala-fide intent’. Former CEO of India’s Food safety and standards...
