This article entitled “Declining but still serious hunger score of the Philippines” was published in the Businessworld last October 12, 2015. The Philippines ranks 53rd in the 2015 Global Hunger Index (GHI) with a GHI score of 20.1. Although this was a decline from 22.1 in 2005 and 26.2 in 2000, the present GHI score is “serious” in the severity scale.

The GHI measures and tracks hunger globally. It is a combination of three equally weighted indicators: undernourishment, child underweight, and child mortality. It the Philippines, undernourishment is 13.5% of the population; prevalence of stunting in children under five years is 30.3%; under five mortality rate is 3%, and; prevalence of wasting in children under five years is 7.9%.

Hunger levels in 52 countries including the Philippines remain serious or alarming according to a report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide. The report noted that while the level of hunger in developing countries as a group has fallen by 27% since 2000, “the state of hunger in the world remains serious.”

(Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=phl-sees-declining-but-still-serious-hunger-score&id=116853#scores)