Lok Sabha Question No. 2801 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-28
Subject: Role of Centre for Environment and Occupational Health, Climate Change & Health
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2801 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH DECEMBER, 2018

## ROLE OF CENTRE FOR E NVIRONMENT AND OCCUP ATIONAL HEALTH, CLIMATE CHANGE & HEALTH

## 2801. SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the role played by the Centre for Environment & Occupational Health, Climate Change Health established in the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); and
- (b) the details regarding the plan of action to address issues pertaining to environm occupational health by the Department?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a) & (b) : As per expanding mandate of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a new Center for Environmental and Occupational Health (CEOH) was created in February 2015. The  role  played  by  the  Centre  and  the details  regarding  the  plan  of  action  to  address  issue pertaining to environmental and occupational health are as follows:
- (i)  The  Centre  coordinated  meetings  of  the  National  Expert  Group  on  Climate  Cha nge  and Health  (NEGCCH)  under  the  Health  Mission  of  the  Prime  Minister's  Council  on  Climate Change (PMCCC). After detailed deliberations ,a draft strategy for Climate change and human health has been prepared namely National Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health (NAPCCHH) .
- (ii) T he regional consultations for sensitization on effect of climate change on human health were conducted i nvolving all states and UTs. The details are as follows:
- o South Regional Consultation: 2 nd & 3 rd March 2017 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
- o North Regional Consultation :1 9th - 2 0th Sep 2017 at New Delhi
- o East and Northeast Regional Consultation : 11 th - 12 th Oct 2017 at Kolkata, West Bengal
- o West, Central and remaining states of south Regional Consultation : 22 nd - 23 rd Nov 2017 at Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh

Contd……..

(iii) NCDC is constantly following up with Health Department of all the States and UTs for identification of:

- o State Environment Health Cell
- o State Nodal Officer (Climate Change)
- o Notification of Task Force with exp erts/representation from Ministries/D epartments.

other

(iv) NCDC has prepared  the  'Framework  for  State  specific  Action  Plan  for  Climate  Change'. The State representatives have also been briefed about the framework of SAPCCHH throug multiple channels.

(v) N CDC is also following up with institutes/organization/department id entified as Centres of Excellence (COE), for preparing the specific adaptation plan for climate sensitive disease ,l ke development  of  training  modules,  g uidelines  and  response  plan, background  information  for development of IEC for climate sensitive illn esses.

(vi) NCDC has conducted meeting to explore the possibility for integration of Climate data Health Information Systems of Climate Sensitive Diseases.

(vii) NCDC carry out activities to warn the states and UTs for various climate sensitive ses like:

- o A Heat related advisory to all states and UTs was issued where heat related illness expected to rise owing to the seasonal alert issued by IMD. The same was issued examining morbidity and mortality data available with NDMA -IDSP recor ds of previous years.
- o States and UTs were also advised to take appropriate measures to reduce morbidity mortality due to diseases transmitted by vectors and those transmitted by water or f

(viii) For Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index, a c ore group was constituted under the chairmanship  of  Director , NCDC  to  develop  the  methodology  for  development  of  guidelines related to health impact studies in critically polluted industrial clusters.

(ix) In view of AQI level in Delhi and NCR and cases of a ute respiratory illnesses, NCDC has started collating data of sentinel hospitals for cases of Acute Respiratory Illnesses r Emergency departments of four Central Govt. hospitals of Delhi (AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospi LHMC group of Hospitals an d Dr. RML Hospital) following Meeting of Steering Committee on Air Pollution held on 9 th Nov, 2017.

(x)  Advisories  on  'Impact  of  Air  Pollution'  have  been  issued  to  health  department  of  various states and UTs where the AQI level have been reported 'very Poor' or 'severe' .

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