Global Hunger Index

 Global Hunger Index 

In very simple language

1. How GHI is measured ?

2. Is their method correct ?

3. Their parameter actually represent hunger ?

4. Why this report sud be thrown into dustbin ?

GHI is prepared by a German NGO Welthungerhilfe that is funded by Bill Gates foundation, UNO, German govt etc.  

They use 4 parameters to measure hunger. 

1. Undernourishment (PUN) 

2. Wasting (CWA) 

3. Stunting (CST) 

4. Child mortality (CM) 

Undernourishment - How many people get less than 1800 calories per day

Wasting - weight/height of less than 5 year old children with ref to WHO standard

Stunting - height/age of less than 5 year old children with ref to WHO standard

Child mortality - kids die/1000 before 5 year

Now understand why this method is flawed to measure hunger  - 

Indians have low metabolism compare to other so 1800 calories per day criteria cant be used uniformly worldwide specially for adults.

Like I take 1500 calories per day so according to GHI, I sleep hungry everyday ? 

- International measures of height and weight cant be compared to Indian kids 

- It doesn't take care genetics 

- How height and weight of kid gives information abt hunger ?  

- They assume that any kid dies is from hunger that is completely wrong assumption

65% of kids die in first 4 week due to medical reasons n hunger has nothing to do in that case  

- Diarrhea and Pneumonia r other major reasons of child mortality 

but GHI assumes any kid that die before 5 year is die from hunger

Weightage given to each parameters: 

Undernourishment - 33% 

Child stunting - 17% 

Child wasting - 17% 

Child mortality - 33%  

You can see 67% weightage given to only Children that too on useless parameters so GHI represent hunger of all population ? These r the score of India n Pakistan in all 4 parameters to compare

The score of calorie intake and child weight is almost similar from last 20 years for India

India's score is 29.1

Pakistan 26.1

China that is No 1 in the list is have less than 5

less score better ranking

Now this one is very interesting  

In 2020 Indian Council of Medical Research did a research. They wanted to check whether these 4 parameters actually represent hunger.

So they took sample of 40% top rich and upper middle class people of India n calculated their score on these GHI's 4 parameters

And do u know what they got ?

Rich Indians also failed on Hunger Index parameters- undernourishment, stunted and wasted children in scores were 7.3, 25.7 and 18.6 per cent, respectively, while the under-five mortality per 1000 live births was 25.8

They also found stunting and wasting score very high in overweight mothers. So if mother is over weight how their kids can stay hungry n fail in these indicator. So I reject the notion that the indicators of undernourishment, stunting, wasting and CM used in the GHI are the causes or the consequences of hunger.  

The method of GHI is flawed n ignore genetics n environment of that country  

What do u think ?