Tanzania tops region in hunger levels: GHI

Tanzania has been found to top the region in hunger levels. This according to the Global Hunger Index (GHI) which was released in October 2016 by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in partnership with Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide. The report which was dubbed Getting to Zero hunger notes that the developing world has made substantial progress in reducing hunger since 2000; the level of hunger in developing countries as a group has fallen by 29 percent. However, the report continues to note that this progress has been uneven, and great disparities in hunger continue to exist at the regional, national, and subnational levels.

The second of the Sustainable Development Goal developed in 2015 aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. The Global Hunger Index combined the four component indicators of Undernourishment; Child wasting; Child stunting; and Child mortality to come up with accurate conclusions on hunger.

Countries’ hunger levels were rated as Low, Moderate, Serious, Alarming, and Extremely Alarming. Hunger levels were found still serious or alarming in 50 countries the highest of which are found in Africa south of the Sahara and South Asia. Highest hunger levels were found in Central African Republic (with a score of 46.1) followed by Chad (44.3); lowest hunger levels were found in Argentina (<5) followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (<5). The regional countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda were rated Serious with Tanzania having the highest levels scoring at 28.4. Rwanda was at 27.4, Uganda 26.4 and the least being Kenya with 21.9.

The report notes that the decline in hunger must accelerate in these regions if the world is to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.