India Ranks Among Top Countries for Heatwave Exposure Among Infants and Older Adults, Report Finds

India has ranked among the top countries globally with the highest heatwave exposure for vulnerable age groups, specifically infants and older adults, according to the tenth indicator report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. The country shares this standing with China, the US, and Russia.

Globally, the total number of heatwave days decreased from 2024's historical high of 15.3 billion person-days for older adults and 2.3 billion person-days for infants. However, the year 2025 recorded the second-highest figures for heatwave exposure for both groups combined. Older adults experienced 10.8 billion person-days of heatwaves, while infants experienced 1.1 billion person-days.

When normalised by population size, older adults experienced an average of 12.8 heatwave days per individual in 2025, whereas infants experienced an average of 8.7 heatwave days per individual.

The report, led by authors at the UK's University College London, indicated that global climate action is failing to keep pace with global warming. The health harms of climate change grew faster in the decade following the 2016 Paris Agreement compared to the previous decade.

A decade after the Paris Agreement, the report's authors are calling for climate change to be formally declared a global health emergency. They advocate for a new World Health Organization instrument to enable a coordinated global response and urge governments to position health at the centre of all climate decisions, ranging from emissions targets to climate funding.

Key priorities outlined in the report include urgent and fair cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, sustained investment in science, and the delivery of climate finance for health in the form of grants rather than loans, allowing countries to adapt without increasing their debt burdens.

Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown and professor at University College London, noted that while real progress has been achieved in clean energy, health system readiness, and health-protective regulation, the pace of change remains insufficient. "Progress has been too slow, too small, and isn't reaching those who need it most," Romanello stated.

In 2023, the hottest year during the 2016-2025 period, heat was linked to an estimated 710,000 deaths, surpassing mortality figures associated with malaria or HIV. Of these deaths, 71.5 percent were driven by climate change. Overall, climate change is estimated to have caused nearly 3 million heat-related deaths between 2016 and 2023.

"The findings from the Lancet Countdown report highlight critical systemic risks that extend far beyond public health, directly impacting workforce productivity, operational continuity, and economic stability. As extreme weather events like heatwaves increasingly affect vulnerable populations in key markets like India, businesses and policymakers must factor climate resilience and health infrastructure into long-term strategic planning. Sustainable economic growth now requires proactive adaptation measures and targeted investments to mitigate these mounting environmental risks." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes