Due to the intense heatwaves afflicting India, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is vigilantly monitoring their impact on health across all states. The health ministry has provided training to district officials to identify and report health issues arising from extreme heat conditions. “We invited and trained officials on health and climate issues earlier this year,” an official stated. “From April to July is the peak summer season, during which we encounter numerous cases of heatstroke. Therefore, hospitals have been instructed to report such incidents.”
Another official highlighted the increasing prevalence of extreme heat conditions in recent years and attributed it to climate change. “Minimizing the adverse effects of climate change is our current challenge,” they said. The NCDC has directed states to form task forces and update their heat-health action plans, which will include standard operating procedures for heatwaves. These plans will be incorporated into the State Action Plan for Climate Change and Human Health (SAPCCHH) and submitted to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) or Relief Commissioner Department.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya conducted a review of public health preparedness for heat-related illnesses in early April. Emphasizing the scarcity of accurate data from the field, the minister stressed the importance of establishing a central database with state-level inputs on heatwaves, including mortality rates. He also underscored the need for swift action upon the issuance of weather alerts. “Timely, advance, and widespread public awareness about preventive measures will significantly reduce the severe impact of these heatwaves,” he emphasized.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has conducted an analysis to assess overall heatstroke forecasting, patterns, climatology, and the most vulnerable zones prone to increased heatwaves. At the time of publication, an email sent to the health ministry remained unanswered.
