More hunger looms over Burundi and DRC: Report

The negative trend, however, can be reversed. Research by the hunger agency shows that equalising men’s and women’s status would reduce the number of malnourished children by 13.4 million in South Asia and by 1.7 million in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Hunger and gender inequality go hand-in-hand. An important step to ending world hunger is empowering women and eradicating gender disparities in education, health, economic participation and political opportunities,” said Joachim von Braun, IFPRI director general.

“After decades of slow progress in the fight against hunger, child malnourishment is now on the rise due to the recent economic downturn. The commitments made at the recent G20 meeting and at other global forums should be transformed,” he said.

Despite the progress made in the past 20 years, the situation is also alarming in South Asia, which scored worse than Sub-Saharan Africa on the hunger index, largely because of widespread child malnutrition.

In Bangladesh and India, more than 40 per cent of the children are underweight.

Sri Lanka, which has been committed to universal education and reproductive health care, has been successful at reducing hunger.

It stands out as an important exception in the region.