Global Hunger Index does not really measure hunger - An Indian perspective

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Socioeconomics

Background:

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is an annual index.
• India, a major global economy, ranks poorly on the GHI.
• Concerns exist regarding the GHI's methodology and indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the appropriateness of indicators used in the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
• To evaluate whether GHI indicators accurately reflect hunger.
• To propose alternative approaches for measuring hunger in a national context.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of the Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicators.
• Analysis of undernourishment, stunting, wasting, and child mortality data.
• Assessment of the contextual relevance of GHI measures.

Main Results:

• GHI indicators like undernourishment, stunting, wasting, and child mortality do not measure hunger directly.
• The GHI's measures may not be contextually appropriate for all countries.
• India's poor GHI ranking is questioned due to the index's limitations.

Conclusions:

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) may not be a suitable measure of hunger.
• Ranking countries based on the current GHI is potentially inappropriate.
• Nations should develop context-specific indicators to measure hunger effectively.