<
https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250728-health-workers-protecting-pregnant-women-from-dangerous-heat-in-delhi-india>
'On a scorching June morning, when temperatures hit 43.9C (111F) in Delhi, Baby
Kumari fainted, while rushing to a routine check-up at the nearby health
centre. Pregnant with her fifth child and struggling to cope with Delhi's
scorching temperatures, for a moment she thought she was having a miscarriage.
Fortunately, Kalyani Karan, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), was by
her side. ASHAs are part of India's million-strong network of female community
health workers, trained to provide medical aid in emergencies. They provide
doorstep health services in rural and suburban areas to reduce maternal and
infant mortality and have significantly improved healthcare access for
low-income communities in India.
"When Kumari fainted, I knew I had to quickly do something because her fluids
and electrolytes were depleting, making it harder for her body to cool down
through sweating," says Karan. "I took her aside, dabbed her face with a wet
piece of my scarf, and fanned her with a punkha [a hand fan]. She regained
composure after a few minutes, and I gave her some water mixed with oral
rehydration solution [ORS], which I always carry," says Karan. She then quickly
took Kumari to a district hospital.
There a doctor confirmed Kumari was suffering from dehydration and heat
exhaustion, conditions that could have escalated into life-threatening heat
stroke if not for Karan's timely intervention with ORS – a mix of water,
electrolytes and carbohydrates used to treat dehydration.
After these interventions, Kumari recovered. She cleans homes and works as a
cook in the crowded and chaotic neighbourhood of Najafgarh, on the outskirts of
Delhi. Last summer, temperatures reached 47.8C (118F) in Najafgarh, making it
the hottest area in the capital.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my last pregnancies," Kumari
says. "I often feel lightheaded and find myself getting irritated easily."
In Delhi, Karan and hundreds of other ASHAs are helping thousands of pregnant
women navigate the growing risks that heat poses to maternal health in a
warming world.
Extreme heat poses a risk to the majority of India's population, according to a
recent report by the International Institute for Environment and Development.
Delhi recorded 4,222 days with temperatures above 35C (95F) over the past three
decades, more than any other of the world's 20 most populous capital cities.
India is expected to be among the first countries where temperatures exceed
safe limits for healthy people by 2050, even while resting in the shade, which
could impact labour productivity, economic growth and the quality of life for
310 to 480 million people.
The number of extremely hot days and nights in India – when the body cannot
adequately recover from daytime heat – could quadruple by 2050 if emissions
continue to rise unabated.'
Via
Positive.News
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
