“Climate Change and Health?”: Knowledge and Perceptions among Key Stakeholders in Puducherry, India

Shreya S. Shrikhande (), Sonja Merten, Olga Cambaco, Tristan Lee, Ravivarman Lakshmanasamy, Martin Röösli, Mohammad Aqiel Dalvie, Jürg Utzinger and Guéladio Cissé
Additional contact information
Shreya S. Shrikhande: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Sonja Merten: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Olga Cambaco: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Tristan Lee: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Ravivarman Lakshmanasamy: State Surveillance Officer, Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Government of Puducherry, Puducherry 605001, India
Martin Röösli: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Mohammad Aqiel Dalvie: Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
Jürg Utzinger: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
Guéladio Cissé: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: Climate change has far-reaching impacts on human health, with low- and middle-income countries, including India, being particularly vulnerable. While there have been several advances in the policy space with the development of adaptation plans, little remains known about how stakeholders who are central to the strengthening and implementation of these plans perceive this topic. We conducted a qualitative study employing key interviews with 16 medical doctors, researchers, environmentalists and government officials working on the climate change agenda from Puducherry, India. The findings were analysed using the framework method, with data-driven thematic analysis. We elucidated that despite elaborating the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on health, there remains a perceived gap in education and knowledge about the topic among participants. Knowledge of the public health burden and vulnerabilities influenced the perceived health risks from climate change, with some level of scepticism on the impacts on non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. There was also a felt need for multi-level awareness and intervention programmes targeting all societal levels along with stakeholder recommendations to fill these gaps. The findings of this study should be taken into consideration for strengthening the region’s climate change and health adaptation policy. In light of limited research on this topic, our study provides an improved understanding of how key stakeholders perceive the impacts of climate change on health in India.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; climate change; health; India; key informant interviews; low- and middle-income countries; qualitative study; stakeholder perspectives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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