The report by the United Nations that the number of hungry people in the world has reduced by 100 million over the last decade must be met with cautious optimism.
This is simply because more needs to be done to address this global concern, the epicentre of which lies in Asia. The findings that one in nine are undernourished must be addressed by the community of nations as well.
There is good news in these conclusions, however — the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of undernourished people by 2015 is within reach. Should the target be realised — through appropriate and immediate measures — then mankind can win the war against hunger.
The health-related spin-offs of malnutrition are slowly growing even in countries where availability and access to food is no longer a problem. Nations are playing their role by adopting responsible measures to stem the tide, but action needs to be more inclusive so that everyone adopts a broader vision to tackle this problem.
Hunger and malnutrition are the main risks to health worldwide — greater than Aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined. The silver lining is that this menace can be totally contained. Proper tools and policies coupled with political will are essential deterrents, because the effects of hunger can be far reaching, eating into the economies of countries, creating volatility in the markets and eroding the stability of nations that could ultimately lead to collapse. There are glaring examples of this cause and effect theory in front of us.
The progress graph, therefore, must continue to rise and never be allowed to plateau, or dip. To achieve this, a collective responsibility must be displayed by all.
