- The Union Health Ministry has issued standardised guidelines for confirming heatstroke and heat-related deaths in the country.
- It has been prepared by the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health (NPCCHH) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
- The set of guidelines is aimed at helping hospitals become aware of the criteria to label a death as heat-related/heat stroke.
- The decision to conduct an autopsy should be based on the circumstances of the death, the age of the deceased, and the available resources.
- The collection of blood, urine, etc., for toxicological examination is highly desirable if the condition of the body allows it.
| Climate Change and Heat-related Mortality: In 2013–22, compared with 1991–2000, the estimated average annual heat-related mortality increased by 85%, driven by both warming and changing demographics, globally. If global mean temperature continues to increase toward 2°C of pre-industrial levels, annual heat-related deaths are projected to increase by 370% by mid-century, assuming no substantial progress on adaptation. |
Climate change is raising risks to human health by increasing exposure and vulnerability to extreme heat events like heat waves, humid heat and heat domes.
- Challenges in the post-mortem diagnosis of heat-related deaths:
- Pre-terminal or terminal body temperatures are frequently unavailable.
- The autopsy findings are non-specific and depend upon the duration of survival after exposure.
- Diagnosis of hyperthermia is mostly dependent on the scene investigation
- The circumstances of death, and the reasonable exclusion of alternative causes of death.
- The guidelines have recommended that autopsy findings are non-specific and autopsy is not mandatory in all cases of heat-related illnesses.
Dig Deeper: Study different missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change
