Dr Poornima Prabhakaran, Deputy Director, Centre for Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India, said The Lancet report has yet again highlighted India’s vulnerabilities, with heatwave related mortality and consequent economic implications of reduced workforce and curtailed labour days ranking among the highest in the world.
“Air pollution from continued dependence on fossil fuel combustion for power generation in India mandates an accelerated action plan for transition to cleaner forms of energy,” Prabhakaran said. She added that a renewed focus is required on strengthening public health workforce and infrastructure.