Hunger levels "alarming" in South Asia, Africa: Report

The world has made little progress in reducing hunger since 1990, a new report said on Wednesday, pointing to 29 countries with alarming levels of malnutrition, mainly in Africa and South Asia.

Those countries also are most vulnerable to the impact of historically high food and energy prices, as well as economic recession — factors that the International Food Policy Research Institute said are not yet captured in the data used to compile its annual hunger index.

"After decades of slow progress in combating global hunger, the number of malnourished people is now rising as a result of recent events," said the report, published by IFPRI, German aid group Welthungerhilfe and Irish aid group Concern Worldwide.

"The current situation of food crisis, financial crunch and global recession has further undermined the food security and the livelihoods of the poor," the report said.

The groups use the report to raise awareness of how government policies affect hunger by ranking countries. Past editions have been closely studied by governments, said Joachim von Braun, IFPRI's director general.

"That touches nerves of policy markers and civil society organizations, and that is the intent," von Braun said.

The report was released at the World Food Prize forum, where researchers, policy makers and philanthropists are meeting to discuss how best to tackle food security.

Rich countries, including the United States, have pledged to boost funding in the next three years to small farmers in poor countries to try to reduce hunger.

"I think all the right words have been spoken. Now it's a question of delivery," said Tom Arnold, chief executive of Concern Worldwide.

Using data up until 2007, the index scores three leading indicators of hunger: the proportion of people who are undernourished, the prevalence of child malnutrition, and child mortality rates.

Since 1990, the global index has improved to 15.2 from 20.0. A score under 5 is viewed as low, while 20 is scored as "alarming" and above 30 is designated "extremely alarming."

Sub-Sahara Africa had a regional index of 22.1, while South Asia scored 23.0, mainly because of widespread child malnutrition, the report said.

More than 40% of children are underweight in Bangladesh and India, IFPRI said.

Since 1990, some countries dramatically improved their scores, the report said, including Vietnam, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

But in 13 countries hunger levels have risen, the report said, noting the Democratic Republic of Congo scored the worst at 39.1.

The report also found countries where women have better education, political rights, and participation in the economy also have lower levels of hunger.

"If women are not included (in strategies to improve food security), there will be hardly any chance to make significant progress in the global hunger index," von Braun said.