WHO, WMO Launch South Asia Heat-Health Protection Drive

The new efforts form part of the WHO–WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and are funded by an $11.5 million investment from The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO), together with The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome, have unveiled new regional initiatives to protect millions across South Asia from the escalating threat of extreme heat — one of the region’s deadliest climate risks.

Announced at Mumbai Climate Week, the initiatives aim to bridge climate science and public health action, equipping governments and communities with early warnings, tailored risk thresholds and decision-support tools to prevent avoidable heat-related illness and death.

A Region on the Frontline of Extreme Heat

South Asia — home to nearly a quarter of the world’s population — is experiencing heat intensification at alarming rates. According to WMO, Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average.

In India and Pakistan, pre-monsoon temperatures frequently exceed 50°C. Heat-related mortality in South Asia now surpasses 200,000 deaths annually.

The economic toll is equally severe. In 2024 alone, India lost an estimated 247 billion potential labour hours due to heat exposure, resulting in approximately $194 billion in lost income, according to the Lancet Countdown.

“Few regions feel the impacts of extreme heat as sharply as South Asia,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. “We all know that every death primarily due to excess heat can be prevented — and heat health action plans are saving lives.”

Two Integrated Science-to-Action Platforms

The new efforts form part of the WHO–WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and are funded by an $11.5 million investment from The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome.

The first initiative, the South Asia Climate–Health Desk, will be implemented in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and other partners. It aims to strengthen how climate and weather data are translated into operational health decisions.

The Desk will develop:

• Advanced early warning systems

• Heat-risk assessments

• Decision-support tools for health authorities

• Integrated research and operational frameworks

The second initiative, the South Asia Scientific Research Consortium, supported through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, will deepen understanding of how heat affects different demographic groups.

By establishing tailored heat-risk thresholds for children, pregnant women, elderly populations and outdoor workers, the consortium aims to refine heat action plans and improve preparedness strategies.

Building Climate-Ready Health Systems

The initiatives are designed to pioneer new models of collaboration between meteorological agencies and health systems — sectors that historically operate in parallel.

“IMD welcomes this partnership with IITM under the South Asia Climate-Health Desk, which will strengthen the science-to-services pathway and improve early warning support for health,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology at IMD.

Extreme heat disproportionately affects vulnerable communities, including low-income populations with limited access to cooling, healthcare and adaptive infrastructure.

Dr Alan Dangour, Director of Climate and Health at Wellcome, stressed that rising temperatures are a global public health emergency.

“In South Asia, extreme heat is hitting communities hard — particularly children, pregnant people, older people and outdoor workers,” he said. “We need science-led solutions with public health at the core of decision-making.”

Beyond Business as Usual

After a decade of increasingly severe heatwaves, partners say conventional public health responses are no longer sufficient.

“Protecting India’s most vulnerable communities requires rethinking how we deliver care and invest in frontline solutions,” said Dr. Naveen Rao, Senior Vice President of Health at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We aim to turn cutting-edge science into real-world impact.”

The initiatives are part of a broader regional strategy, including collaboration with the Global Heat Health Information Network, to institutionalize climate-informed health systems across South Asia.

A Model for Global Action

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly called for urgent global measures to address extreme heat, warning that rising temperatures threaten lives, livelihoods and economic stability worldwide.

By integrating climate monitoring, research and health response mechanisms, South Asia is positioning itself as a global leader in climate-health innovation.

Organizers emphasized that these first rollouts in 2026 mark the beginning of a coordinated, long-term approach to managing climate-driven health risks — one that seeks to transform climate data into lifesaving action.