Content:
- Greater regularity
- It is time to protect India’s workers from the heat
- Sprouting sustainable, nutrition-sensitive food systems
Greater regularity
Context : Nipah Virus Situation in Kerala
- A 42-year-old woman tested positive for Nipah virus in Malappuram, Kerala on May 8, 2025.
- This is the third reported case in Malappuram within the last two years (after July and September 2023).
- Kerala has witnessed:
- Two outbreaks: 2018 and 2023 (with human-to-human transmission).
- Four spillovers: 2019, 2021, and two in 2024 (single cases with no human spread).
Relevance : GS 2(Health)
Practice Question : Repeated spillover events and occasional outbreaks of the Nipah virus in Kerala highlight the need for robust surveillance, rapid diagnostics, and transparent genomic data sharing. Examine the key challenges in managing zoonotic diseases like Nipah and suggest a multi-pronged public health strategy to prevent future outbreaks.(250 Words)
Outbreak vs Spillover
- Outbreak = Multiple human-to-human transmissions (e.g., 2018, 2023).
- Spillover = Single case, typically with no further transmission.
- The May 8 case is likely a spillover, but confirmation depends on further spread or containment.
Clinical Differences
- Spillover cases typically show Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
- Outbreak cases often present Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), which is more severe.
- ARDS cases have lung involvement, cough, and higher viral loads.
- Throat swab samples test positive more consistently in ARDS cases, enabling virus spread via coughing.
- Higher mortality associated with ARDS:
- 2018: 17 deaths out of 18 cases.
- 2023: 2 deaths out of 6 cases.
Need for Genetic Surveillance
- ICMR-NIV (2018) found genetic variations between the Kerala Nipah strain and the Bangladesh strain.
- This implies that even small mutations can influence:
- Clinical outcomes
- Virus transmissibility
Importance of Bat Surveillance
- Fruit bats are the natural reservoir of Nipah virus.
- With Kerala becoming a frequent hotspot, routine surveillance of bat populations is critical.
Urgency for Genomic Transparency
- Rapid sharing of viral genetic sequences in public databases is crucial.
- Enables global collaboration, research, and quicker response.
- Helps understand:
- If spillover strains are evolving.
- If new strains have increased potential for human-to-human transmission.
Conclusion
- Kerala’s repeated encounters with Nipah demand a proactive public health response.
- Early detection, genetic surveillance, and open data sharing are essential to prevent future outbreaks.
It is time to protect India’s workers from the heat
Background Context
- Delhi saw temperatures rise above 41°C in early April 2025, with hot nights offering no relief — a sign of a dangerous new normal due to climate change.
- Urban informal workers are most vulnerable, facing exposure, dehydration, and income loss, with minimal institutional protection.
Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues , Health)
Practice Question : “Heatwaves are no longer seasonal anomalies but structural threats, especially for India’s urban informal workforce.” In this context, critically examine the limitations of existing Heat Action Plans (HAPs) in India and suggest a framework for a worker-centric, climate-resilient urban response.
(15 marks, 250 words)
Key Issues with Current Heat Action Plans (HAPs)
- Invisible informal workers: Most HAPs do not specifically address the vulnerabilities of street vendors, construction workers, gig workers, etc.
- Short-term mindset: HAPs treat heatwaves as temporary emergencies rather than symptoms of a chronic climate crisis.
- Fragmented governance: Ministries (Labour, Health, Urban Affairs, Environment) operate in silos, lacking coordination or integrated guidelines.
- No occupational safeguards: Missing protocols for rest, hydration, cooling spaces, or compensation for lost work.
- One-size-fits-all approach: Localized needs and occupational realities are ignored in generalised public health advisories.
Global and Indian Good Practices
- Global examples:
- USA (California, Oregon): Mandated water, shade, rest breaks, and training.
- France: Requires adjusted work norms and opens public buildings for cooling.
- Qatar & Australia: Outdoor work restrictions during peak heat.
- Indian examples:
- Ahmedabad: Adjusted work hours, shaded rest areas.
- Odisha: Prohibited outdoor work during peak heat hours.
Recommendations: A Worker-Centric Heat Response
Update NDMA Guidelines (2019):
- Explicitly include informal workers.
- Define occupational categories and risk-mitigation protocols.
Ensure Worker Participation in HAP Formulation:
- Mandate involvement of unions, collectives, welfare boards.
- Form civil society coordination groups at city level.
Create Access to Cooling Infrastructure:
- Shaded rest zones, hydration points, cooling centres at labour chowks, markets, bus stands.
- Make them gender-sensitive, accessible and community-maintained.
Innovative Financing:
- Leverage CSR, city development budgets, and community funds.
- Expand health insurance for heat-related illnesses.
Embed Heat Resilience in Urban Planning:
- Mandate cool roofs, shaded walkways, ventilation in bye-laws.
- Integrate urban forests, blue networks (water bodies), and passive design.
National Inter-Ministerial Task Force:
- Merge efforts of Labour, Urban Affairs, Environment, Health Ministries, and NDMA.
- Assign Heat Officers in every district/city to coordinate and monitor implementation.
Conclusion
- Heat is not a seasonal inconvenience but a systemic crisis with real human costs.
- Informal workers, despite being economic backbones, are invisibilised in climate governance.
- Protecting them is a public health, economic, and moral imperative.
Sprouting sustainable, nutrition-sensitive food systems
Context & Concerns:
- India, despite being a top food producer, faces serious nutritional challenges – undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.
- Global Hunger Index 2024: India ranks 105/127 — reflects deep-rooted food insecurity.
- NFHS-5 Data (2019–21):
- 194 million undernourished.
- 35.5% stunted, 32.1% underweight, 19.3% wasted children under five.
- Rising obesity: 24% women and 22.9% men overweight.
- 57% of reproductive-age women are anaemic.
Relevance : GS 2(Social Issues ,Health ,Governance)
Practice Question :“Transforming India’s food systems into sustainable and nutrition-sensitive systems is essential not only for public health but also for long-term economic resilience.” Discuss the key challenges in India’s current food systems and suggest a multi-sectoral strategy for transformation.(250 Words)
Structural Challenges in Food Systems:
- Food insecurity today includes both hunger and diet-related NCDs (non-communicable diseases).
- Affordability barrier: 55.6% Indians cannot afford a nutritious diet (FAO).
- Climate vulnerabilities: Lower crop yields, biodiversity loss, and smallholder stress deepen the nutrition crisis.
- Economic burden: Global food system failures cost ~$12 trillion annually via health and environmental degradation.
Why Transformation Is Urgent:
- Malnutrition impedes human capital development, raises health costs, and reduces economic productivity.
- Incremental changes are inadequate — a systemic overhaul is needed.
Strategies for Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems:
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture:
- Promote climate-resilient and biofortified crops.
- Ensure crop diversity and efficient post-harvest systems.
- Integrate nutrition into agri-policy
Community-led models:
- NSCP (Nutrition-Sensitive Community Planning): integrates soil, water conservation, WASH, and healthcare from bottom-up.
School-based programmes:
- Nutri-Pathshala: Includes biofortified grains in mid-day meals, supports local farmers, and teaches nutrition.
Strengthening social safety nets:
- Improve PDS and mid-day meals with nutrient-rich indigenous foods.
- Launch behaviour change campaigns to promote healthy diets.
Private sector role:
- Encourage nutrient-dense food innovations, fortification, and clear labelling.
- Use QR codes, digital tools for nutrition education.
Climate-smart agriculture:
- Build resilience through gender-sensitive, climate-resilient farming practices.
- Support rural economic diversification.
Public awareness & behavioural change:
- Use games, radio, and interactive tools (e.g. ‘MyPlate Blast Off’) to improve outreach in low-digital-access areas.
Enablers & Innovations:
- Place-based innovation: Socio-technical bundles (e.g. Himalayan region):
- Grow micronutrient-rich crops.
- Use decentralised food processing.
- Build local food networks (farmer-processor-consumer linkages).
Role of Nutrition and Health Communities:
- Must embed nutrition into agriculture and economic planning.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration is key (nutritionists + public health + policy).
- Examples like NSCP and Nutri-Pathshala show success in integrated models.
Way Forward:
- Nutrition must be the guiding principle for agriculture and economic policy.
- Urgent need to transition from incremental to bold, systemic changes.
- Align efforts across government, private sector, and civil society for inclusive, sustainable transformation.
- Achieving SDGs 2, 3, and 12 requires cohesive, community-driven, and climate-sensitive action.
