Health too will be a frontier in the climate-crisis fight

Doctors at the Gorakhpur All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are a worried lot.

- Shashi Shekhar

The number of hydroa vacciniforme patients is increasing each passing day. This skin disease is caused by exposure to strong sun. Usually, it is reported from people living in the desert where the sun is harsh all year round. Gorakhpur is in the terai (Himalayan foothills) of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The signal is clear; human skin is progressively unable to bear the extreme heat of the sun.

The doctors at AIIMS Gorakhpur have extensively analyzed patients' data for the days between April and August 2024. They found that between April and August 2024, there were 39 days when the day temperature crossed 40 degrees. However, the AIIMS data show that Gorakhpur and adjoining areas experienced temperatures above 40 degrees for just six days in 2021. This year's forecast suggests a record-breaking heatwave. Gorakhpur is not an exception in eastern UP that's reporting extreme conditions.