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Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal Climate change: The challenges for public health preparedness and response - An Indian case study

Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal

Patil RR, Deepa TM
2007
Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 11 (3): 113-115

Extremes weather changes surpassing their usual statistical ranges and tumbling records in India could be an early warning bell of global warming. Extreme weather events like the recent record setting in western Indian city of Mumbai or all time high fatalities due to the heat wave in southern Indian states or increasing vulnerability of easten Indian states to flood could all be a manifestation of climate change in the Asian subcontinent. While the skeptics may be inclined to dismiss these events as simple local aberrations, when viewed in an epidemiological paradigm in terms of person, time and space couple with frequency, intensity and fatalities, it could well be an early manifestation of climate change. Global warming poses serious challenge to the health sector and hence warrants emergency health preparedness and response. Climate-sensitive diseases are among the largest global killers, hence major brunt of global climate change in terms of adverse health impact will be mostly borne by poor and developing countries in Asia, given the levels of poverty, nutional levels and poor public health infrastructure.

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Resource Description

    Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Temperature
    • Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Temperature: Flood
    • Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Temperature: Heat
    General Geographic Feature
    Non-United States
    • Non-United States: Asia
    Infectious Disease, Injury, Malnutrition
    • Infectious Disease, Injury, Malnutrition: Vectorborne Disease
      • Vectorborne Disease: General Vectorborne Disease
      Vectorborne Disease
    Research Article
    Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population
    • Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: Adaptation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm, Early Warning System, Vulnerability Assessment
    • Adaptation, Climate Justice/Climate Equity, Sociodemographic Vulnerability, Vulnerable Population: Low Socioeconomic Status
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