Climate change and its effect on health are beyond any debate and it’s a challenge which we all can face during our lifetime. Increased accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases in the troposphere exert a “radiative forcing” which increases the temperature on the earth’s surface properly known as “global warming”. The United Nations urged all countries to address the issue of climate change in the year 1988 and has been a driving force behind a number of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions.

Ozone depletion, loss of biodiversity, degradation of land, increasing incidence of floods and natural disasters such as earthquakes are the aftermath of climate change.  Other effects include changes in weather patterns, more frequent and intense droughts, storms, heat waves, melting glaciers and warming oceans leading to disturbed ecosystems.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the warming and precipitation trends due to anthropogenic climate change of the past 30 years claimed over 150,000 lives annually.

Researchers have shown that climate changes led to an increased risk of typhus, cholera, malaria, dengue and respiratory diseases such as asthma, and bronchitis. Climate change is being considered as the driving force behind the increased incidence of cancer, especially skin cancer. Potential causes for cancer driven by climate change include exposure to ultraviolet radiation, air pollution, disruptions in the food and water supply, environmental toxicants, and infectious agents.

This challenge needs to be addressed at a global level and potential solutions to overcome it is required. The forum recognises it as a challenge and aims to explore potential solutions by bringing experts from different disciplines together.