Understanding Impact of Climate Change on Health in India: A Case Study of Tuberculosis in Delhi

Human health has been viewed as an indicator of a nation's health, prosperity, and overall well-being. In a time where climate change has overshadowed and emerged as a bigger existential concern in comparison to all the other issues, diseases have also made a comeback on the shoulders of ever-evolving climate threats. The world, which has now moved into a post-COVID pandemic era, is still trying to recuperate from the scars of the past. In such a setting, tuberculosis is being observed to turn up with a higher number of active cases than in the past. This paper makes an attempt to understand the rise of cases of TB through the lens of climate change. TB, which has been mostly viewed as more of a socio-medical health issue, requires to be understood from a distinct perspective. Climate change has been there as a key factor in causing huge migration and internal displacement of the population in India. It has further aggravated the demographic balance in various regions. Delhi has yet again emerged as the top-most city having the greatest number of active TB cases in India. Departing from the explored line of study, this paper revolves around the case study of TB cases in Delhi from a climate change orientation and attempts to analyse the policies of the governments that are in place to curb TB. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for studies between climate change and other major health diseases.