Aligarh: The Centre is chalking out a National Health Programme to prepare the country for the challenges being posed to human health by the climate change, a senior official today said.
"Climate change is altering the behaviour of insects and other vectors which were impacting the transmission of zoonotic and other infections," said PK Pradhan, secretary Union Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
He was speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University.
Concerned on these developments, the government was now documenting the impact of these environmental factors on national health related issues, he said.
Pradhan said the Centre has embarked on a programme to increase more paramedical staff to support the healthcare system in the country.
A National Institute of Paramedical Sciences was being established at New Delhi and eight regional institutes for paramedical courses were being set up at Lucknow, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Patna and Aurangabad, he said.
Referring to National Health Programme, Pradhan said, "Recent studies have clearly established the strong connection between national education and national health."
He said these studies indicate that high mortality rates among women who get married before 18 because of not pursuing their educational career.
Earlier, as part of their Golden Jubilee celebrations, the JN Medical College gave Lifetime Achievement Awards to two of its alumni, Professor Mehdi Hasan, widely considered as the doyen in the field of anatomy in India, and doctor Ashok Seth, Padmashri winner and Chairman of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fortis, ESCORTS Heart Institute, New Delhi.
PTI
