Climate Events and an umbrella for Urban Health

The Monsoon season in India has led to large scale devastation with events of Cyclonic storm Biparjoy, floods in the state of Assam and heavy rain led damages in parts of North India. But the climate events also pose a challenge of common water and Vector-borne diseases especially in the Urban centres.

Disease Vulnerability in the urban areas:

• Less developed parts of the urban areas are more vulnerable
  • Less developed parts of the urban areas such as slums and urban settlement colonies are the most vulnerable groups of extreme climate events.
• Vulnerability to Malaria
  • Households with poor socio-economic indicators are more vulnerable to Malaria.
  • Households from climatically high and moderately-high vulnerable states are at a greater risk of suffering from Malaria.

Rebuilding the health system is a way out:

1. A Resilient Health system

• The Urban Primary healthcare system has to be rebuilt to ensure resilience, with a focus on vulnerable population in the Urban slums and peri-urban areas.
  • A resilient health system capable of responding to emergency situations and adapt to changing public health needs has to be formed.

2. Greater Public Investment
   • Greater public investment in primary care systems of urban centres can help vulnerable sections to handle climate shocks effectively.
   • Revitalising the Urban local bodies for revenue generation can support the efforts of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), as large part of preventive and public health functions are the responsibilities of the Urban Local Bodies.
   • A special fund from statutory organisations such as Finance Commission to build a resilient ecosystem in vulnerable urban areas will be essential to address the urban health problems.
3. Strengthening of Surveillance and information systems
   • The realm of Surveillance and information systems such as Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme needs to be universalised, strengthened and comprehensive to enable,
     1. Greater cooperation and cooperation during emergencies
     2. Knowledge and data sharing
     3. Preventive and curative functions
     4. Treatment practices
     5. Regulation of rates and standards.
4. Adequately skilled workforce
   • Comprehensive health system approach with integration of front-line workers across various disease management programmes.
   • The shortage of adequately trained workforce in health and allied areas has to be met with immediately.
5. Climate change inclusive models
   • The planning and management of healthcare systems should incorporate the idea that climate-change led events will be more intense and frequent in the future.

Link: Climate events and an umbrella for urban health - The Hindu