Context
The Lancet Commission on 21st Century Global Threats to Health has identified 17 major threats that could cause substantial losses of healthy life by 2100. The report highlights India’s vulnerability to these interconnected risks and calls for stronger healthcare preparedness and long-term planning.
Explanation
- The Lancet Commission, launched at the World Health Summit in Berlin, assessed major health threats across 204 countries and territories.
- It identified 17 catastrophic threats, including climate change, obesity, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pandemics, malnutrition, inequality, nuclear conflict and misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- A threat was classified as catastrophic if it could cause at least one billion Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) by 2100.
- DALY measures healthy years lost due to premature death or living with illness or disability.
- Obesity represents a major projected burden, with interventions potentially preventing 23.1 billion DALYs by 2100.
- Climate change worsens several health risks through extreme heat, air pollution and disease-related impacts.
- India is facing all of the 17 threats and is navigating every single category simultaneously, from non-communicable lifestyle conditions to infectious diseases, climate impacts, and technological/geopolitical risks.
- The Commission recommends strengthening healthcare preparedness, investing in vaccines and medical technologies, and regularly monitoring emerging threats.
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