By Deogratias Mmana:
A 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report has indicated that the hunger situation in Malawi is serious.
The report shows that hunger is alarming in six countries of Burundi, Chad, Madagascar, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
In another 36 countries, where Malawi is, hunger is serious, according to the report.
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However, Somalia has the highest GHI score of all countries.
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The report focused on how gender justice could help advance climate resilience and zero hunger goals.
According to the report, Malawi faces significant challenges regarding food security and nutrition, exacerbated by several factors which include high levels of poverty, reliance on subsistence farming and vulnerability to climate shocks.
The report says despite progress being made in some countries, hunger has declined only marginally since 2016 and that prospects for achieving zero hunger by 2030 are grim.
While Malawi has about 4.7 million food insecure people, globally, 733 million people are undernourished.
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The report says rising food prices and the cost of living have made healthy diets unaffordable for 2.8 billion people.
The report says progress in reducing all four GHI indicators—that is, under-nutrition, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality— is lagging behind internationally agreed targets.
“Thus stagnation reflects multiple and overlapping challenges that hit the poorest countries and people hardest and exacerbate structural inequalities,” the report says.
Among other things, the report has recommended that governments make investments that integrate and promote gender, strengthen accountability and enforce the right to adequate food while promoting gender transformative approaches to food systems and climate policies and programmes. climate and food justice;
During the launch of the report in Lilongwe Wednesday, delegates wondered why Malawi continued to face hunger despite having institutions that were mandated to promote food and nutrition.
They also questioned why the country does not utilise natural resources such as water bodies to promote irrigation.
Deputy director for nutrition in the Ministry of Health Blessings Nqumayo acknowledged that stunting levels in Malawi were high.
He bemoaned poor funding and the problem of inadequate personnel in the ministries of Agriculture and Health for positions that are mandated to promote food and nutrition.
On her part, Health Deputy Minister Halima Daudi said the government was addressing issues highlighted in the report.
“The Government of Malawi has taken steps to address these recommendations in the new revised National Multisector Nutrition Policy,” Daudi said, adding: “The time is now to put words into action for better health for everyone.”
On her part, Concern Worldwide Country Director Lucy Mwangi said Malawi was taking the right direction as it had implemented some policies and its officials and other stakeholders were discussing others.
“Hunger is a global challenge. Malawi can learn from all the other countries that are trying to do something. Every nation is trying to do things that can help address the issue of hunger.
“When there is a legal framework of operation then it becomes easier to address some of these things,” Mwangi said.
