BD improves marginally in Global Hunger Index 2023

Bangladesh has secured a score of 19.0, indicating a moderate level of hunger within the nation. This score represents a marginal improvement from the previous year when the countrys score was 19.6, according to Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023.

Bangladesh has witnessed notable progress in recent years, showcasing a remarkable improvement of 25.5% since 2014 when its GHI score stood at 26.3, categorizing the situation as serious, said  Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 - Bangladesh Perspective and Way Forward, launched at Hotel Amari Dhaka, on Wednesday.

The GHI assessed the nutritional situation in 136 countries, 43 of which continue to record serious or alarming levels of hunger. In 18 countries, hunger has grown since 2015. Fifty-eight countries will not succeed in achieving a low level of hunger by 2030.
After years of progress, the latest Global Hunger Index shows that the world has largely stagnated in terms of hunger reduction since 2015. Despite many political assurances and international conferences, there has been no success in reversing this trend, said the GHI.

Africa South of the Sahara and South Asia are once again the regions with the highest rates of hunger. Overlapping crises - like climate change, the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, growing numbers of armed conflicts, and the rise in food prices, which was intensified by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine - are forcing around three-quarters of a billion people to go to bed hungry every day. This hits young people, especially women, particularly hard.

The global youth population, presently around 1.2 billion, represents the largest cohort in history, mainly residing in low- and middle-income regions such as South Asia, East Asia, and Africa. These young individuals are entering adulthood amidst unequal and unsustainable food systems that struggle to ensure food and nutrition security, susceptible to climate change and environmental degradation, said the GHI.

Often lacking access to resources, land, skills, and opportunities, they face challenges in actively participating in these food systems. Despite these obstacles, young people have a rightful expectation of a healthy and prolonged future. As successors to current food systems, there is a need for a more influential role in reshaping these systems, with a primary focus on food sovereignty.

Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque MP, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing, Committee on Ministry of Agriculture was present as the chief guest at the launch of the GHI. Dr. Gazi Md. Saifuzzaman, Director General, Department of Youth Development; Badal Chandra Biswas, Director General, Department of Agricultural Extension; Md Shahidul Alam ndc, Director General, Food Planning and Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Food; Dr. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Director General, Bangladesh National Nutrition Council; Florian Hollen; Counsellor, Head of German Development Cooperation, German Embassy Dhaka were present as the special guests. Dr. Barnali Chakraborty, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, North South University presented the keynote.

Along all other guests Mr. Pankaj Kumar, Country Director, Welthungerhilfe, Banglades; Mr. Shamim Ahamed, Deputy Country Director, Helvetas Bangladesh, Mr. Manish Kumar Agrawal, Country Director, Concern Worldwide Bangladesh were also present at the event.