India concludes Climate and Health Solutions Conclave with blueprint for future action

New Delhi: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), successfully concluded the two-day Climate and Health Solutions (CHS) India Conclave in Delhi.

The event focused on the critical intersection of climate change and public health, gathering experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to chart a comprehensive roadmap for future action in India’s health sector.

A major highlight of the conclave was a roundtable discussion titled “Climate Resilient and Responsive Health Systems and Infrastructure”. Representatives from 19 states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, explored the pressing need for adaptive health infrastructure, resilient to the growing threat of extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.

The conclave also featured discussions on a wide range of topics critical to the evolving climate-health nexus. These included Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), mental health, nutrition, climate-ready healthcare human resources, and blended finance models for innovative climate-health solutions. 

During a session on “Non-Communicable Diseases, Nutrition, and Mental Health”, Dr. Cherian Varghese, an expert on climate-related health impacts, used the Kerala floods as an example of how climate change directly affects social determinants of NCDs such as livelihoods and healthcare access. The session also addressed the mental health ramifications of climate disasters, with Dr. Naveen Kumar discussing both direct and indirect mental health implications, while Dr. Bhuvaneswari Balasubramanian from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) emphasized the urgent need to integrate climate change considerations into nutritional policies.

In another session on “Blended Finance for Climate-Health Bold Bets”, Jaya Singh, Policy Lead for Asia Pacific at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office, highlighted the critical role governments play in establishing regulations that attract private investment in the health and climate sectors. She advocated for catalytic funding models to drive investment in key areas such as infrastructure, education, and health. Despite 25% of the global disease burden being linked to environmental risk factors, only 0.5% of international climate finance is directed toward health, noted Himanshu Sikka, Program Lead at Pahal Samridh.

Innovative technologies showcased during the conclave included a Climate Risk Observatory Tool for heat and health mapping and solutions from Pluss Technologies and Blackfrog Technologies for climate-resilient healthcare infrastructure and the work of ARTPARK, IISc Bangalore for climate and health early warning systems.

In his closing remarks, Apurva Chandra, Secretary of MoHFW, emphasized the critical need for integrating climate action into public health strategies. He remarked, “As India stands at a critical juncture, we have the opportunity—not just to respond to these challenges but to lead the global agenda on climate and health.” Chandra expressed confidence that the actionable strategies discussed during the conclave would guide India toward a resilient and sustainable health system, capable of withstanding the dual crises of climate change and public health emergencies.

As part of the event’s outcomes, the MoHFW and ADB will publish a comprehensive outcome document summarizing key topics discussed during the conclave, including an actionable framework for national, regional, and sub-national health and climate plans.

The conclave concluded with a focused workshop on “Transformational Climate and Health at Scale”, led by senior government officials and ADB representatives. Participants showcased the outcomes of the two-day discussions, aligning health systems with climate resilience goals. The event provided a crucial platform to devise actionable, forward-thinking solutions, emphasizing the need to integrate climate action into public health strategies.

The conclave’s success was lauded by LS Changsan, Additional Secretary, Public Health, MoHFW, and Latha Ganapathy, Joint Secretary, Public Health, MoHFW, as a critical milestone for India’s health sector. Ayako Inagaki, Senior Director of the Human and Social Development Sector Office, and Dr. Dinesh Arora, Principal Health Specialist from the Health Practice Team at the Asian Development Bank, emphasized that India’s experience will serve as a model for shaping and implementing climate and health initiatives across Asia, the Pacific, and beyond.