Climate resilience starts with the health workforce

The Indian Express reports that while infrastructure and early warning systems are crucial in climate resilience, the health workforce plays an equally vital role in preventing natural disasters from escalating into public health crises. India has made strides in recognizing this, with initiatives such as the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health, which aims to strengthen surveillance systems, develop heat action plans, and integrate climate considerations into public health programmes.

However, the sustainability of these capacities remains a concern, particularly given the shortage of health workers across India. The report emphasizes that health workforce development should not only focus on individual competencies but also on strengthening the systems that enable these competencies to be applied in practice.

Health workers are expected to anticipate climate-sensitive disease patterns, respond to extreme weather events, protect vulnerable populations, and coordinate across sectors, all of which are increasingly part of their responsibilities.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.