Indian Journal of Communicable Diseases

Introduction: The COVID-19 has changed how health is delivered around the world. The attitude of general public attending Out Patient Department (OPDs) at government sector is difficult to change even post pandemic and hence, the primary health care facilities need to follow stringent protocols to work, in order to ensure safety of both healthcare providers and patients. Objective: To find out the attitude and practices of patients attending OPDs at a Primary health centre (PHC) of Faridabad during and post lockdown period in context of COVID 19 pandemic and to explore the experiences of public health specialists or medical officers at PHCs of India and their recommendations for safe working during post pandemic era. Methodology: A partially mixed concurrent equal status study was conducted at a health centre of medical college situated in Faridabad, Haryana. Quantitative data was collected using an electronic form through interview and telephonic in depth interviews for qualitative data collection.

Climate change is one of the biggest imminent threats the world faces in the current century. There is a growing risk of emerging diseases secondary to climate change and the magnitude of this risk is likely underestimated. The current review aims to summarize the mechanisms of climate change impact on infectious diseases, and interventions to manage this growing problem in India. Climate change disrupts ecosystems and impacts disease transmission through several distinct pathways, each influenced by environmental shifts. Extreme weather acts as a catalyst by increasing the spread of climate sensitive infectious disease. There have been several disease outbreaks in India linked directly to climate-related events, highlighting the critical connection between environmental changes and public health. Addressing climate change induced infectious disease calls for multipronged and interdisciplinary action to safeguard human and animal health, strengthen disaster resilience and advance climate action. The complex interplay of environment, human health and animal health in the pathogenesis of this problem requires a One Health approach to balance the health of human and animal populations and ecosystems. Climate-informed disease surveillance and early warning systems, strengthening health systems to become more climate-resilient, hazard awareness generation and risk communication, infrastructure planning to minimize climate driven displacement, animal surveillance and cross sectoral antimicrobial resistance surveillance, conservation of wildlife habitats and ecosystems, water, sanitation and hygiene services resilient to climate change, resettlement of populations at-risk of climate induced disasters and climate change mitigation actions can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for human health and climate action.

In the recent decades, Microplastic pollution has emerged as a critical environmental and public health challenge. Though the evidence regarding the health implications and mitigation strategies for the microplastics is on a rise, yet there are persist significant gaps in understanding the full extent of microplastics. A comprehensive review is thus essential to figure the magnitude of the burden, long term health implications and challenges and limitations in the mitigation strategies. An integrated waste management system, focussing on the four R’s hierarchy–reduce, reuse, recycle, recover can serve as an important hallmark in source reduction and resource consumptions, thus contributing to reduce mismatched plastic pollution.

Rabies remains a critical public health concern, particularly in India where it accounts for a significant proportion of global deaths. This review explores the emergence of rabies in Kerala, India, examining its epidemiology, transmission dynamics, preventive measures, and recent public health responses. Kerala has experienced a disturbing rise in rabies cases over the past five years, despite the availability of effective vaccines and immunoglobulins. The article highlights epidemiological trends, diagnostic methods, post-and pre-exposure prophylaxis, and the challenges identified in the global WOAH 2024 report. Emphasis is placed on Kerala’s Integrated Bite Case Management (IBCM) strategy, intersectoral collaboration, and One Health approaches. It concludes by reiterating the importance of achieving the “Zero by 30” strategy to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030.