A climate-health vision with lessons from India, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Global Conference on Climate and Health was held in Brazil from July 29-31, 2025, with 90 countries participating.
• The conference aimed to shape the Belém Health Action Plan, to be launched at COP30 in November 2025.
• India was not officially represented at the conference, missing an opportunity to share its developmental approach.
• Several Indian welfare programs like PM POSHAN, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, MNREGA, and PMUY offer insights for integrated climate-health action.

Detailed Insights:

• India's welfare programs demonstrate that non-health interventions can generate substantial health co-benefits while addressing climate challenges.
• Strong political leadership and community engagement are vital for the success of intersectoral policies, as seen in the PMUY and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• Challenges in implementing intersectoral policies include siloed administrative machineries and structural inequities that hinder equitable access.
• An institutionalized, health-anchored climate governance framework for India should include strategic prioritization, procedural integration, and participatory implementation.
• Strategic prioritization involves framing climate policies in terms of immediate health benefits, similar to how PMUY positioned clean cooking as women's empowerment.
• Procedural integration requires embedding health impact assessments into all climate-relevant policies, making health considerations mandatory across sectors.
• Participatory implementation leverages health as a mobilizing force, empowering local health workers to become climate advocates by connecting environmental changes to health outcomes.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Intersectoral Policy: An approach that integrates multiple sectors to achieve synergistic outcomes.
• Climate-Health Co-benefits: The positive health outcomes resulting from climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
• Health Impact Assessment: A systematic process to evaluate the potential health effects of a policy, plan, or project.