Dengue is spreading into new regions of Manipur as shifting rainfall patterns and rising temperatures reshape the state’s disease landscape, Joint Director (Planning) of the Health Services Directorate, Dr. Y. Premchandra Singh, said on Tuesday.
Speaking at an interaction programme for media fellowship recipients on climate change reporting, organised by the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Dr. Premchandra said Manipur is now clearly experiencing health impacts linked to climate change and urgently needs a collective response.
He noted that extreme rainfall, higher temperatures, flooding, vector-borne diseases and even climate-related anxiety are increasingly being reported across the state. While climate change does not directly cause diseases, it “creates pathways that worsen health risks”, he said. High humidity and stagnant water have created ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes, allowing dengue cases to persist even into late November.
Outlining wider climate-linked health threats, he said heatwaves can trigger dehydration, heat stroke and heart strain; floods can contaminate water sources and spread infections; humidity boosts mosquito populations; air pollution worsens asthma and COPD; and unstable climate patterns heighten food and water insecurity.
He also highlighted the heightened vulnerability of people with diabetes, noting that rising temperatures worsen dehydration and elevate blood glucose levels. Insulin refrigeration becomes challenging during heatwaves, flooding and power outages, while disasters disrupt access to medicines and routine care, making diabetic patients “highly climate-sensitive”.
As climate change becomes unavoidable, Dr. Premchandra urged both community adaptation and departmental mitigation measures to protect public health, adding that the Health Department will act to address climate-linked challenges whenever possible.
Director of Environment and Climate Change, T. Brajakumar, echoed the concerns, calling climate change one of the biggest health threats of the 21st century.
