Health matters newsletter: Excessive heat declared a T.N. State disaster

(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Ramya Kannan writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)

In what could well be tagged as a ‘pioneering’ move, one that is in sync with the current global concern of the effects of climate change, Tamil Nadu went ahead and declared heatwaves as State-specific disasters and announced an ex-gratia for heat-related deaths. This will allow the government to provide immediate relief to those affected by extreme temperatures and the government has claimed it will use the State Disaster Response Fund to support these efforts. This comes after many regions in Tamil Nadu recorded temperatures exceeding 40°C, and the impact on public health was perceived to be considerable. Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, have been particularly at risk.

Heat is an important environmental and occupational health hazard. Heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related deaths and can exacerbate underlying illnesses including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, asthma, and can increase the risk of accidents and transmission of some infectious diseases. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a high-case fatality rate. The World Health Organization says the number of people exposed to extreme heat is growing exponentially due to climate change in all world regions. Heat-related mortality for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85% between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021.

Tamil Nadu is arguably the first State in the country to factor in healthcare support for the crisis of excessive heat brought on by climate change. As part of relief measures, the State also plans to provide medical care, including oral rehydration salts (ORS) and access to drinking water in kiosks throughout affected areas. It would be ideal for other States to follow suit, as there is sufficient evidence that challenges from climate change will only be exacerbated in the coming years.

In other encouraging news, S. Vijay Kumar reports that the Centre is eying ‘presumed consent’ for cornea retrieval in hospital deaths. This comes against the backdrop of a huge demand for cornea donation, with the country being able to meet only 50% of the requirement. Going by the new initiative, corneas could be retrieved from all citizens who die in hospitals without the consent of the family. This means that every person dying in a hospital would be presumed to be a cornea donor, unless otherwise specified.

There’s a lot in the area where genomics intersects with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare technology today. Sridhar Sivasubbu and Vinod Scaria enlighten us with the attempts of Researchers to meld AI and genomics to find thousands of new viruses. In recent years, metagenomics has helped scientists identify a staggering number of previously unknown microbes in diverse environments. These discoveries have significantly expanded our understanding of microbial ecosystems. As sequencing technologies continue to improve — becoming more accurate, faster, and more affordable — alongside better global data-sharing practices, scientists are beginning to unlock the secrets of the microbial world at an unprecedented pace, the authors write.

Meanwhile, in a significant move, countries are expected to reach a deal at this month’s U.N. COP16 nature summit on how the world uses and pays for genetic information extracted from nature, according to negotiators. Experts refer to this data as “digital sequence information,” or DSI for short. The unique genetic codes and sequences in all living organisms hold the information needed for them to develop and function. For years, researchers have been tapping the genetic codes of plants, animals and microbes in search of new compounds that can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or other commercial purposes.

Species-rich countries, including tropical giants like Brazil and India, are on guard against corporations and researchers capitalizing on their biodiversity without offering compensation or royalties to the country where a species originated. In response, a complex system of laws has cropped up to govern the use of genetic material. The laws vary widely from country to country, posing headaches for companies and complicating the sharing of biological material for research. This system has also generated little money for developing nations. Do read the story for more details.

But there is a need for caution, when using generative AI. Apparently, OpenAI’s Whisper transcription tool used in hospitals invents things no one ever. Researchers have claimed that it is prone to making up chunks of text or even entire sentences, according to interviews with more than a dozen software engineers, developers and academic researchers. Those experts said some of the invented text — known in the industry as hallucinations — can include racial commentary, violent rhetoric and even imagined medical treatments.

We had some mixed news with polio last week, but this week is mostly not great news. While, so far, polio vaccinations proceeded on course even in Gaza, WHO now says ‘intense bombardment’ halts Gaza polio vaccinations. This will derail the vaccination programme and is bound to cause a resurgence of polio in the region. The international community must intervene at this stage in order to ensure at least basic health care services reach the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, on Polio in Pakistan: another vaccination campaign begins after worrying surge.

Back in India, if you had question about the Meghalaya vaccine-derived polio case, maybe you could check out this report by R. Prasad: Why is WHO cagey about publishing Meghalaya polio case details?

Evelyn Parr and Brooke Devlin, in the The Conversation write on how in type 2 diabetes, focusing on when you eat – not what – can help control blood sugar, pitching for the benefits of time-restricted eating.

Over 77 per cent of India’s children lack WHO-suggested diversity in diet, a study finds. This refers to children in India aged 6-23 months who lack the diversity in diet as suggested by the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, Megha,Bob Allkin and Varun Subramanya bring in the importance of Medicinal foods: A missing category on the regulator’s plate. Their study found that of the 7,564 medicinal species listed in 11 referenced sources, approximately a quarter (1,788) were documented as food as well as medicine. They go on to show that when medicinal foods are regulated as foods, they are subjected to lower efficacy and safety standards than if they were medicines, putting consumers at risk

As part of The Hindu Wellness Series webinar held recently in association with Kauvery Hospital, doctors discussed factors that would ensure a healthy lifestyle, and regular check-ups to prevent strokes in young adults.

As news of the reducing air quality in the national capital region came back to hit headlines, in a letter to States and UTs, the Director General of Health Services Atul Goel has said to discourage stubble and waste burning, and spread awareness among people about reducing firecrackers during festivities, reports Bindu Shajan Perappadan. Read here.

Ashna Butani follows that up with a bunch of lifestyle recommendations to combat rising air pollution levels, that doctors advocate.

If there is a cat story, then naturally that makes it the tailpiece of the week. Susan Hazel in The Conversation asks: Are cats good for our health? The conclusions are what any cat lover will tell you: Living with a cat can have a profound – and sometimes surprising – effect on our physical and mental health. Still, living with cats is not without risks, the main downside being exposure to toxoplasmosis -a parasite excreted in cat faeces which can affect other mammals, including humans. The parasite is more likely to be carried by feral cats that hunt for their food than domestic cats. Do click on the link for more details.

In our rather substantial explainers section this week,

Sathana Dushyanthen and David Kok (in The Conversation) write on What is stereotactic radiation therapy for prostate cancer? How does it compare to other treatments?

Serena Josephine M. asks Should men be allowed into operation theatres when their wives are having a baby? Doctors weigh in after YouTuber’s video sparks controversy

C. Aravinda explains Acute Flaccid Paralysis and need for surveillance and Trachoma eliminated as a public health problem in India; what next?

Why did the Centre sanction a 50% hike in prices of commonly used drugs?

Zubeda Hamid in the In Focus podcast goes back to what we have explained for a couple of weeks now: What role does microRNA play in our cells and why is this vital?

Bani Jolly and Vinod Scaria explore: What does H5N1 in cattle, humans portend?

If you have a few extra moments, do also read:

Drugs regulator finds 49 samples not of standard quality, manufacturers asked to withdraw their products

Roll back approval to import used medical devices, med-tech industry urges PM

National Testing Agency remains tight-lipped on possible changes to NEET 2025 exam pattern

30,000 critical care beds, regional centres for National Institute of Virology are among plans under PM-ABHIM: Niti Aayog member V.K. Paul

$25-million Pandemic Fund aims to curb ‘zoonotic’ diseases

A.S. Jayanth writes Rajasthan-based firm barred from making ‘insulin’ homeopathic tablets

For many more health stories, head to our health page and subscribe to the health newsletter here.