What is Global Hunger Index? List the parameters of the Global Hunger Index.

The global hunger index is an annual report jointly published by Ireland’s Concern Worldwide and Germany’s Welthungerhilfe.

The index maps hunger to ensure that the world achieves “Zero Hunger by 2030” — one of the Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations. Hence the GHI scores are not calculated for certain high-income countries.

Parameters of the Index

In common parlance, hunger is understood in terms of food deprivation. Mostly it is calculated by mapping the level of calorie intake. The GHI does not limit itself to this narrow definition of hunger. It tracks the performance of different countries on four key parameters taken together.

These parameters capture multiple dimensions — such a deficiency of micronutrients — of hunger, thus providing a far more comprehensive measure of hunger. The index was calculated on four parameters:

Undernourishment

It reflects inadequate food availability and it is calculated by the share of the population that is undernourished .i.e whose caloric intake is insufficient.

Child Wasting

It reflects acute undernutrition and it is calculated by the share of children under the age of five who are wasted. i.e. those who have low weight for their height);

Child Stunting

It reflects chronic undernutrition and it is calculated by the share of children under the age of five who are stunted. i.e those who have low height for their age.

Child Mortality

It reflects both inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environment) and it is calculated by the mortality rate of children under the age of five (in part, a reflection of the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition.

Categories

• Countries with a score of less than or equal to 9.9 are slotted in the “low” category of hunger.
• Those countries scoring between 20 and 34.9 are in the “serious” category and
• Those countries scoring above 50 are in the “extremely alarming” category.

Calculation of Index

The index has a weightage of 33.33 per cent weight each to components Undernourishment and Child Mortality and gives 16.66 per cent weight each to components Child wasting and Child Stunting.

The index scores countries on a 100-point “severity scale”, where zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.

Topics: GS-II: Issues Relating to Poverty and Hunger