Relentless heatwave, intense rains in Tamil Nadu put public health in peril

CHENNAI: Our planet is heating up. Temperatures are soaring across the world breaking records. Intense drought. Massive flooding, and unparalleled destruction by cyclones. Climate change is not just an environmental issue any more. It has become one of the biggest public health concerns of our time, warn experts.

Whether it’s avian influenza in the US and Vietnam, yellow fever in Africa, new COVID-19 variant in Singapore, or the whooping cough outbreak in China, Netherlands and Czech Republic, challenges to public health point towards climate change as a major cause.

From increasing the prevalence of infectious diseases to exacerbating chronic health conditions and introducing new challenges, extreme weather conditions are leading up to becoming one of the largest humanitarian crises this world has seen.

Water-borne illnesses

In TN, the impact is increasingly evident, particularly in the realms of water scarcity, floods, and extreme heat. Unavailability of adequate drinking water and clean water affects sanitation and hygiene.

“The scarcity of clean water is the major cause of water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and others. In communities that only have limited access to safe drinking water, the people rely on unsafe water sources, further increasing the incidence of water-related illnesses. When they start storing water, it leads to mosquito breeding, and causes vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya,” said Dr K Kolandaisamy, public health expert, and former director of public health.

The increasing incidence of floods almost every year is another alarm bell. The southern parts of Tamil Nadu received incessant rains last year during the northeast monsoon. Though the heavy rainfall has brought some respite from heat, it should not be surprising if incidences of mosquito-borne illnesses spike way before the monsoon commences.

Even mild showers leave stagnant water across the city, which provides an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed, amplifying the risk of disease transmission. Dr TS Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH), opined: “Vector-borne disease management will be a major challenge in the near future. Extreme summers can lead to outbreaks such as fever, chickenpox, measles and mumps. Though it is not immediately seen as a consequence of climate change, over the years, it will definitely become the primary reason.”

Mercury rising

Extreme heat events, fuelled by climate change, pose myriad forms of threat to public health in Tamil Nadu. They can lead to heatstroke, exhaustion, dehydration, and worsen the pre-existing conditions like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Dr Vigneshwaran V, consultant of General Medicine, SRM Global Hospitals, explained: “An individual experiencing heat exhaustion will experience fatigue, headache, dizziness, and thirst. Athletes, infants, pregnant women, and senior citizens above 65 are at risk. People living in badly ventilated spaces and those with conditions such as heart diseases and mental illness are also at risk.”

There is a need for the healthcare system to adapt so as to address the increased burden of water-borne diseases, vector-borne illnesses and heat-related illnesses, causing chronic medical conditions to worsen by environmental factors. Besides strengthening healthcare infrastructure, enhancing disease surveillance and response mechanisms, and implementing preventive measures, the DPH has also emphasised on promoting climate-resilient healthcare practices, and raising public awareness about the health impact of climate change.

Changes in policy

Talking about the need for policy-level changes, Dr Selvavinayagam said that disaster planning is the need of the hour, considering the impact of climate change.

Citing the example of the usefulness of mobile medical teams during the floods last year, he pointed out: “Such teams should be kept ready. We need to train human resources immediately to provide the right infrastructure and to move them to the right place in case of a critical situation.”

To increase public participation, experts suggested incentivising people to motivate them. “The next generation needs to be made aware about the impact of climate change. Public needs to be alert and behave more responsibly. In case of warnings, people should be proactive in emergency planning, gather resources, prepare and stay safe. The local resources are more useful during the times of calamities and public intervention to manage such situations,” explained Selvavinayagam.

Based on the instructions of the Union Health Ministry, all the Indian States have submitted a draft of a separate action plan to handle the effects of climate change on people’s health. Senior officials from the State Health Department averred that the action plan has been drafted in collaboration with the National Centre for Disease Control, based on the local climatic challenges and conditions.

“A particular action plan based on each region will help intensify the health infrastructure, and also frame guidelines to healthcare workers and the public,” said the official.