3.0 IMPACTS OF WORLD HUNGER

The hunger we are referring to when dealing with World Hunger, is often known as Chronic Hunger, which is a “perpetual hunger, starvation, or famine due to unequal distribution of wealth or other social injustice” (Definition-Of, 2012). Chronic hunger has resulted in many deaths each year. Effects of chronic hunger include:

1. High Child Mortality Rates
The lack of proper nutrients causes pregnant women to be weak in health, as well as their babies. As a result, many babies did not manage to survive long after birth, while some died in the mother’s womb. Without appropriate sanitation, the newborn babies are also susceptible to bacterial infections which can be deadly in serious cases. Hence, it is common for populations suffering from hunger to have high child mortality rates. However at the same time, birth rates are also high in these areas, resulting in a vicious cycle of newborns and deaths.

2. Susceptibility to illnesses
Hungry people have weak immune system. They lack of the fundamental nutrition needed for their bodies to function normally. Especially when they suffer from diarrhoea due to the low food security in their country, their bodies cannot produce enough antibodies to fight the illness. The low count of antibodies in their body might cause persistent infections if not treated well.

3. Hindrance to Children’s Growth
It is common knowledge that children need enough nutrition to grow well, especially during puberty. Children in poor countries who suffer from hunger, however, cannot grow well physically and intellectually. These children often lack of the proteins and fatty acids needed for proper growth. Thus, children who are hungry tend to be stunted and perform weaker in intellectual tests compared to normal children.

4. Obstacle to Economic Development
Since hunger affects one’s intellectual growth, it will eventually impact the quality of education the children receive. Children without proper education will not be able to find a job that is good enough to sustain their own families’ lives. On a micro level, individuals are not able to earn enough income for themselves. When brought up to a macro level, when hungry people cannot be groomed to become talents, the future of the country is at stake. A lot of effort might be needed before the country’s economic growth can break out of the “stagnant zone”.