Context:

• India vs Pakistan: In the Global Hunger Index 2023, India has fallen to the 111th position out of 125 countries, whereas Pakistan has secured the 102nd position. 

Understanding the Global Hunger Index 2023: A Comparative Analysis of Hunger – India vs Pakistan

• About: Global Hunger Index is an annual report published jointly by two European NGOs, Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
• Objective: It aims to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels, including a comparison of India vs Pakistan. 
• Calculating GHI: The GHI score is calculated based on a formula, which is a combination of four indicators:
  • Undernourishment: It represents the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake.
    • India vs Pakistan Undernourishment: In India, the rate of undernourishment stood at 16.6%, while in Pakistan, it was approximately 18.5%.
  • Child Stunting: It represents the share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition.
    • India vs Pakistan Child Stunting: In India, the child wasting rate was recorded as the highest in the world at 18.7%, while Pakistan had a child wasting rate of 7.1%
  • Child Wasting: It represents the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition.
    • India v/s Pakistan Child Wasting: India had the highest child wasting rate in the world at 18.7%, while Pakistan’s rate was 7.1%.
  • Child mortality: It represents the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.
    • India vs Pakistan Child mortality: India’s under-five mortality rate is 3.1%, whereas it stands at 6.3% in Pakistan.

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Global Hunger Index: India vs Pakistan

• Score comparison – India vs Pakistan: India’s score in GHI 2023 is 28.7, which is an indication of the serious nature of hunger problems in the country.
  • India’s Neighborhood: Pakistan (102th), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th) and Sri Lanka (60th) have a better position of the in the index. India vs PAkistan a notable difference in rankings on the index.
• India’s performance: The undernourishment rate in India was at 16.6 per cent and under-five mortality rate at 3.1 percent.
  • India vs Pakistan – Women aged between 15 and 24 years had an anemia prevalence rate of 58.1 per cent. But in Pakistan the anemia prevalence is 43%. 

Comparative Analysis of India Vs Pakistan in Global Hunger Index 2023:

Assessment Critiques: India’s Objections to Global Hunger Index 2023 in Comparison to Pakistan – India vs Pakistan 

• Flawed Methodology – India vs Pakistan: India says that three of the four indicators used for the calculation are based on the health of children and cannot be used to represent the entire population.
• Proportion of undernourished: The proportion of undernourished is calculated based on an opinion poll conducted on a small sample size of just 3,000 people.
• Relation between Child mortality and Hunger: There is no evidence to conclude that child mortality is an outcome of hunger.
• Assumptions on Indicators: The index assumes that stunting and wasting is an outcome of complex interactions of various factors like sanitation, genetics, environment and utilization of food intake apart from hunger.  
• Child Wasting Proportion: According to the POSHAN tracker, child wasting was below 7.2% month-on-month, as compared to 18.7% in the Global Hunger Index 2023.
  • GHI collects the data from UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates, which itself is based on an opinion poll of 3000 people.

Steps Taken by India to Address Hunger Issues: 

• POSHAN Abhiyaan: This nutrition mission seeks to improve nutrition among children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme: The mid-day meal programme in India has been designed to enhance the nutritional standing of school-age children.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana: PMGKAY is a food security programme undertaken by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. 
  • Under the programme, free food grains will be provided to migrants and the poor to overcome the effects of food inflation. 
• Zero Hunger Programme: The programme was launched in 2017 to address challenges associated with hunger and nutrition. 
  • India vs Pakistan: It focuses on nutrition, health and agriculture, which are all part of Sustainable Development Goals.
• Eat  Right India Movement: Launched in 2018 by FSSAI,  It aims to transform the country’s food system in order to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians. 
• Mission Saksham Anganwadi: Mission Saksham Anganwadi, along with POSHAN 2.0, will address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. 

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Conclusion

• GHI India vs Pakistan Comparison – Global Hunger Index 2023 may not be an accurate representation of hunger conditions in India but there is a need to acknowledge that the issue of nutrition needs greater focus in the country.