Climate change & infectious diseases in India: Implications for human health, healthcare providers & institutions

Background,: Climate change has the potential for influencing the earth's biological systems and its impact on human health is still emerging. This presentation reviews examples of two diseases in the Indian sub-continent, malaria and cholera. Methods: Development of predictive models for infectious disease is vital for the identification of susceptible populations, implementation of early warning systems, and provision of health care services. Results: The multifactorial nature of malaria causation does not permit a simple model of disease prediction. To determine the role of climate change in malaria transmission, research efforts incorporating a disease surveillance system that combine trend analyses from multiple sites to account for local factors are required. The discovery of V. cholera's existence in the natural environment changed the understanding that this disease had only a human reservoir. A relationship has been observed between increases in sea-surface temperature and the onset of cholera epidemics, with outbreaks following the seasonal rise and fall in sea-surface height and temperatures. Conclusions: This article reviews common prevalent infectious diseases in India, their links to climate change, and how health-care providers and institutions can participate in the mitigation of climate change. Examples of these include physicians discussing lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to combat chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Institutions can pursue energy and water conservation, energy efficient construction, recycling and purchasing recycled materials, collecting and recycling anesthetic gases, reducing waste, and local waste disposal. An example of a Mumbai hospital's efforts in energy reduction is presented.