New Delhi: In the Global Hunger Index 2022, the poor condition of Pakistan is bad. Although the condition of India is also not good, but it will have to take some very necessary measures to deal with starvation. It is a matter of fact that during the Corona epidemic, India distributed free ration for several months to avoid starvation to millions of its people, but it is ranked 107th in the list of about 121 countries. However, Pakistan is ranked 99th in this list. Among neighboring countries, Bangladesh at 84th position, Nepal at 81st position and Sri Lanka at 64th position are in a better position than India. In Asia, only Afghanistan is behind India and is ranked 109th.

Global, regional and national level hunger is monitored and calculated through the Global Hunger Index (GHI). The level of hunger in India is 'severe' with a score of 29.1. India was ranked 101 out of 116 countries in 2021, while in 2020 it was ranked 94. The report states that South Asia, the region with the highest hunger levels in the world, has the highest child stunting rate.

The report said that the 'child wasting rate' in India is 19.3 percent, which is the highest of any country in the world and due to India's large population, it increases the average of the region. India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have child stunting rates between 35 and 38 percent, and Afghanistan has the highest rate in the region.

The prevalence of malnutrition in India has increased from 14.6 percent in 2018-2020 to 16.3 in 2019-2021. This means that out of the total 828 million of the world, the population of 22.43 million in India is malnourished. Child wasting, the biggest indicator of mortality among children under the age of five, has also worsened. It has increased from 15.1 percent in 2012-16 to 19.3 percent in 2017-21.

GHI said the researchers examined the factors responsible for the decline in undernutrition between 2006 and 2016 in the four Indian states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The report said the researchers found that obesity rates declined as health and nutritional status improved household status (such as socio-economic status and food security) and maternal factors (such as mothers' health and education).

The GHI said the world is facing a serious challenge in efforts to end hunger, with conflict, the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, as well as the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. The report warns that the situation may worsen as the global crisis escalates. It states that the scale of potential solutions and investments required are known and quantified. Instead, the problem lies in the implementation of the policy and the lack of political will in the world.