Central idea 

As India gets ready for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), it is important to examine how climate change affects the country’s health. India’s inadequate health systems make our population particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate risks on health. Climate change affects health directly, causing more sickness and death. In more indirect ways, it affects nutrition, reduces working hours, and increases climate-induced stress.

Key Highlights:

• Vulnerability of Health Systems: Inadequate health infrastructure in India heightens susceptibility to climate change impacts on health.
• Concerns Over Temperature Rise: Failure to cap global temperature rise raises fears of uninhabitable regions with a 2°C increase.

Challenges:

• Double Morbidity Burden: Convergence of communicable and non-communicable diseases worsens health challenges.
• Neglected Non-communicable Diseases: Climate change impact on mental health and non-communicable diseases often overlooked in India.

Key Phrases and Analysis:

• Urban Heat Island Effect: Unplanned urbanization intensifies the urban heat island effect, straining the urban health system.
• Poorly Managed Health Risks: Inadequate recognition and management of health risks associated with climate change-induced factors.

Key Data and Facts:

• Temperature-Related Health Risks: 1% increase above 29°C correlates with an 8% rise in hospitalization rates, emphasizing direct temperature impact.
• Urbanization Challenges: Unplanned urbanization exacerbates climate-related health risks, necessitating interventions in urban planning and public health.

Way Forward:

• Holistic Mitigation Strategies: Mitigation involves understanding climate change pathways, modifying health information systems, and upstream interventions.
• Multi-level Action: Coordinated action at global, regional, and local levels, involving researchers, policymakers, and governments for meaningful change.