Global Hunger Index exaggerates measure of starvation, has issues, say Health Ministry sources

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Global Hunger Index exaggerates the measure of starvation, lacks statistical vigour and has issues on a number of counts, Union Health Ministry sources stated Tuesday after India stood 107th out of 121 on this yr’s rankings.

It does not likely measure starvation, they stated whereas asserting that the report “deliberately ignores the tremendous efforts made by the government to ensure food security for the population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Three out of the 4 indicators used are associated to the well being of kids and can’t be consultant of all the inhabitants, sources stated.

They stated that in keeping with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) the indications of undernourishment, stunting, losing and baby mortality don’t measure starvation per se as these will not be the manifestations of starvation alone.

Many of the measures which might be used to evolve an index that measures starvation are most likely contextual, the ministry sources stated.

Claiming that the Global Hunger Index was misguided and suffers from severe methodological points, an official stated, “It exaggerates the measure of starvation, lacks statistical vigour, has an issue of a number of counts, and provides larger illustration to under-five youngsters.

“The fourth indicator, the ‘Estimate of Proportion of Undernourished Population’ for India is 16.3 per cent. For a country of the size of India, the data has been collected from a minuscule sample of 3,000 and is statistically wrong, lacks validity, biased, and unethical,” sources within the ministry stated.

“Also, the framing of questions was inappropriate and destructive.

For instance, respondents have been requested: During the final 12 months, was there a time when, due to lack of cash or different assets you have been nervous you wouldn’t have sufficient meals to eat? You ate lower than you thought you need to? “Inclusion of such questions signifies that the agencies had pre-formed biases and did not search for facts based on relevant information about the delivery of nutritional support and assurance of food security by the Government,” an official supply stated.

The different three indicators relate primarily to youngsters akin to stunting, losing and under-five mortality.

These indicators are the outcomes of complicated interactions of things akin to consuming water, sanitation, genetics, surroundings and utilisation of meals consumption other than starvation.

Interpreting ‘starvation’ based mostly on well being indicators of kids is neither scientific nor rational, the sources stated.

Even then their estimates are unsuitable as National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) has proven enchancment in stunting and losing and a big discount in U5MR, they stated.

According to NFHS India has proven enchancment in baby vitamin indicators as stunting (height-for-age) amongst youngsters below 5 years has declined from 38.4 per cent (NFHS 4 – 2015-16) to 35.5 per cent (NFHS-5 – 2019-21).

Wasting (weight-for-height) amongst youngsters below 5 years has declined from 21.0 (NFHS 4) to 19.3 per cent (NFHS-5).

Children below 5 years who’re underweight (weight-for-age) declined from 35.8 (NFHS 4) to 32.1 per cent (NFHS-5) and U5MR to 109 (1990) to 42 in 2021.

In the Global Hunger Index, 2022, India ranked 107 out of 121 international locations, a lot behind its South Asia neighbours, with the kid losing price at 19.3 per cent, the best on the planet.

With a rating of 29.1, the extent of starvation in India has been labelled “serious”.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development on October 15 rejected the findings, alleging it’s an effort to taint the nation’s picture and the index suffers from severe methodological points and is an “erroneous measure” of starvation.

The opposition leaders stated the federal government should take accountability for its “failure”.

NEW DELHI: The Global Hunger Index exaggerates the measure of starvation, lacks statistical vigour and has issues on a number of counts, Union Health Ministry sources stated Tuesday after India stood 107th out of 121 on this yr’s rankings.

It does not likely measure starvation, they stated whereas asserting that the report “deliberately ignores the tremendous efforts made by the government to ensure food security for the population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Three out of the 4 indicators used are associated to the well being of kids and can’t be consultant of all the inhabitants, sources stated.

They stated that in keeping with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) the indications of undernourishment, stunting, losing and baby mortality don’t measure starvation per se as these will not be the manifestations of starvation alone.

Many of the measures which might be used to evolve an index that measures starvation are most likely contextual, the ministry sources stated.

Claiming that the Global Hunger Index was misguided and suffers from severe methodological points, an official stated, “It exaggerates the measure of starvation, lacks statistical vigour, has an issue of a number of counts, and provides larger illustration to under-five youngsters.

“The fourth indicator, the ‘Estimate of Proportion of Undernourished Population’ for India is 16.3 per cent. For a country of the size of India, the data has been collected from a minuscule sample of 3,000 and is statistically wrong, lacks validity, biased, and unethical,” sources within the ministry stated.

“Also, the framing of questions was inappropriate and destructive.

For instance, respondents have been requested: During the final 12 months, was there a time when, due to lack of cash or different assets you have been nervous you wouldn’t have sufficient meals to eat? You ate lower than you thought you need to? “Inclusion of such questions signifies that the agencies had pre-formed biases and did not search for facts based on relevant information about the delivery of nutritional support and assurance of food security by the Government,” an official supply stated.

The different three indicators relate primarily to youngsters akin to stunting, losing and under-five mortality.

These indicators are the outcomes of complicated interactions of things akin to consuming water, sanitation, genetics, surroundings and utilisation of meals consumption other than starvation.

Interpreting ‘starvation’ based mostly on well being indicators of kids is neither scientific nor rational, the sources stated.

Even then their estimates are unsuitable as National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) has proven enchancment in stunting and losing and a big discount in U5MR, they stated.

According to NFHS India has proven enchancment in baby vitamin indicators as stunting (height-for-age) amongst youngsters below 5 years has declined from 38.4 per cent (NFHS 4 – 2015-16) to 35.5 per cent (NFHS-5 – 2019-21).

Wasting (weight-for-height) amongst youngsters below 5 years has declined from 21.0 (NFHS 4) to 19.3 per cent (NFHS-5).

Children below 5 years who’re underweight (weight-for-age) declined from 35.8 (NFHS 4) to 32.1 per cent (NFHS-5) and U5MR to 109 (1990) to 42 in 2021.

In the Global Hunger Index, 2022, India ranked 107 out of 121 international locations, a lot behind its South Asia neighbours, with the kid losing price at 19.3 per cent, the best on the planet.

With a rating of 29.1, the extent of starvation in India has been labelled “serious”.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development on October 15 rejected the findings, alleging it’s an effort to taint the nation’s picture and the index suffers from severe methodological points and is an “erroneous measure” of starvation.

The opposition leaders stated the federal government should take accountability for its “failure”.