Climate change and healthcare: a call to action from the frontlines of planetary health

On 30 September 2025, we had the privilege of hosting Dr Edmond Fernandes, a leading public health advocate and founder of the CHD Group, Mangalore, India for a thought-provoking guest lecture titled 'Climate Change, Resource Constraints, and Healthcare Service Delivery'. His talk was not only academically rich but emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating, challenging us to rethink the role of healthcare in a rapidly warming world.

Reframing climate change as a health crisis

Dr Fernandes began by highlighting a stark reality: despite decades of climate negotiations, healthcare only entered the global climate agenda at COP28 in 2023. This delay, he argued, reflects a systemic oversight of the human cost of climate change.

Through a powerful case study of a daily wage labourer in India, South Asia, he illustrated how climate-induced flooding, vector-borne diseases, and economic instability can cascade into a full-blown public health crisis. This story, he reminded us, is not an exception in the lived reality of millions.

Healthcare beyond four walls

A key message from the talk was that healthcare is by its very nature multifaceted. Health ministries cannot address climate-related health issues on their own. A coordinated, cross-sectoral strategy is required instead, one that incorporates disaster relief, child welfare, rural development, and other areas.

The existing status of medical education in many low and middle income countries (LMICs), which frequently falls short of preparing aspiring physicians for the health effects of climate change, was also criticised by Dr Fernandes. He appealed for curricula that incorporate social responsibility and climatic resiliency, saying, "what the mind doesn't know, the eyes cannot see."

From research to real-world impact

Dr. Fernandes' appeal for intellectual action was among the session's most persuasive elements. He urged researchers to interact with communities, decision-makers, and the media to promote genuine change rather than just publishing for publicity.

He shared his experience of publishing a controversial article on banning white coats in India to reduce hospital-acquired infections. The article sparked national debate, parliamentary discussion, and institutional introspection, demonstrating how research can influence policy when paired with strategic communication.

Food, water and the climate-health nexus

Dr Fernandes also explored how climate change disrupts food systems, contaminates water supplies, and increases reliance on pesticides and preservatives, leading to long-term health consequences like inflammatory diseases and cardiovascular issues.

He warned of a growing “market of opportunism” where globalisation and trade exacerbate health inequities, and called for a more ethical, human-centred approach to public health.

What can we do?

Dr Fernandes offered a clear call to action:

• Integrate climate literacy into medical and public health education.
• Engage communities with culturally sensitive, low-cost interventions.
• Collaborate across sectors, from NGOs to governments to academia.
• Shift narratives from doom to opportunity – especially in renewable energy and sustainable development.
• Lead with moral courage, even when systemic change feels slow.

A moral imperative

In closing, Dr Fernandes reminded us that not all battles are fought for victories – some are fought simply to show that someone stood on the battlefield: “When you’re 65 or 70, no one will ask how many papers you published. They’ll ask how many lives you changed.”

This session was a timely reminder that climate change is not just an environmental issue, it is a human one. And as educators, students, and practitioners, we all have a role to play in shaping a healthier, more just future.

Dr Rhyddi Chakraborty, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Leadership, School of Allied Health and Social Care