One of the most pressing problems in today’s world is one that is often overlooked or forgotten. Worldwide hunger is one of the biggest dangers to people living in poverty, and it is especially prevalent in developing countries.

Child hunger can cause under or malnutrition which can cause stunted growth, which is another serious health issue that is rarely addressed. In the world, every 1/4 children are stunted and possibly every 1/3 in developing countries. Countries like Asia and Africa are the continents with the highest numbers in terms of hunger and the consequent effects, with half of all stunted children living in Asia and 1/3 living in Africa.

Places like these, such as Sub Saharan Africa where every 1/4 people are undernourished, are the places in which hunger is one of of the main causes of death. Around 3.1 million children die annually because of hunger and lack of proper nutrients in their meals, which is around 45 percent of all children under the age of five.

While it’s obvious that developing countries in Asia and Africa as well as other parts of the world are suffering from hunger and malnutrition, another side of this that we also don’t see often is the prevalence of hunger in America. In the United States of America, every 1/6 children face hunger and over 40 million people, or 13 million children, live in a household that falls under the federal poverty level and live in food insecure homes, meaning that they don’t regularly have enough to eat.

In America, children who live in food insecure homes and face hunger are affected in their development and are more likely to repeat a grade, have developmental impairments in regards to language or speaking skills and have more social and behavioral problems.

There are ways in which we can help improve the lives of other Americans struggling to eat and help supply them with meals with enough nutrients. There are multiple programs such as NoKidHungry and Feeding America that advocate to raise awareness for this problem and raise money to help feed those who reach out to them in need of help. Donating to or sharing information about these organizations can help raise awareness for them and help increase donations.

Another potentially effective move is advocating for federal nutrition programs. These programs can help feed children and families through school lunches or food stamps through the government and can serve as an effective way to reach out to those who need it. Bettering the economy of America, increasing the minimum wage or even volunteering more at food banks are other ways to help stop hunger in the country.

There are also ways to help reduce worldwide hunger. One method would be with the production of sustainable foods. A unique example of this would be the genetically modified Golden Rice. This rice has been engineered to provide more nutrients such as vitamin A and to be produced at a cheaper price than normal rice in order to more effectively feed populations of food deprived people and supply them with nutrients.

Other solutions include food donations, urban farming or self sufficient households, greater access to education, reducing population growth through government intervention and greater education and opportunities for women.