El Niño is widely known for causing unpredictable monsoons and agricultural losses, but its impacts extend deeply into public health by triggering heat-related illnesses, water scarcity, and infectious diseases. Persistent high temperatures lead to dehydration and heatstroke while worsening chronic heart and lung conditions, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults and outdoor workers. Furthermore, fluctuating rainfall patterns cause droughts that compromise hygiene and floods that contaminate water supplies with cholera and dysentery. Changes in humidity and temperature also accelerate the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. To mitigate these preventable health crises, governments and healthcare systems must prioritize early-warning systems, safe drinking water, vector control, and continuous medical access.

El Niño is widely known for causing unpredictable monsoons and agricultural losses, but its impacts extend deeply into public health by triggering heat-related illnesses, water scarcity, and infectious diseases. Persistent high temperatures lead to dehydration and heatstroke while worsening chronic heart and lung conditions, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults and outdoor workers. Furthermore, fluctuating rainfall patterns cause droughts that compromise hygiene and floods that contaminate water supplies with cholera and dysentery. Changes in humidity and temperature also accelerate the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. To mitigate these preventable health crises, governments and healthcare systems must prioritize early-warning systems, safe drinking water, vector control, and continuous medical access.

El Niño is widely known for causing unpredictable monsoons and agricultural losses, but its impacts extend deeply into public health by triggering heat-related illnesses, water scarcity, and infectious diseases. Persistent high temperatures lead to dehydration and heatstroke while worsening chronic heart and lung conditions, particularly among vulnerable populations like older adults and outdoor workers. Furthermore, fluctuating rainfall patterns cause droughts that compromise hygiene and floods that contaminate water supplies with cholera and dysentery. Changes in humidity and temperature also accelerate the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya. To mitigate these preventable health crises, governments and healthcare systems must prioritize early-warning systems, safe drinking water, vector control, and continuous medical access.

El Niño is mostly considered an unfavourable situation as far as weather is concerned, with unpredictable monsoons and agricultural losses. But its impact extends well beyond the weather. It can create a range of public health challenges, from heat-related illnesses to infectious diseases.

Heat is among the most immediate health concerns

Persistent high temperatures can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and acute kidney injury, and worsen heart, lung and kidney diseases. Older adults, infants, outdoor workers and people with chronic illnesses are most at risk. Those on diuretics or certain other medicines may need personalised advice in extreme heat.

Unpredictable rainfall has its own pitfalls

Drought and water scarcity can compromise hygiene, reduce access to safe drinking water and worsen food insecurity. 

Conversely, heavy rainfall and flooding can contaminate water supplies, increasing the risk of diarrhoeal illnesses, including cholera and dysentery, as well as leptospirosis in flood-affected areas.

The relationship between El Niño and vector-borne diseases is equally important

Changes in temperature, humidity and rainfall create a happy breeding ground for mosquitoes and other vectors, and there is increased and unpredictable incidence of infections such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya. However, these effects vary by region; an outbreak cannot be predicted from El Niño alone.

Air quality may also deteriorate when drought contributes to dust and wildfire conditions. Smoke and particulate pollution can aggravate asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while increasing cardiovascular stress.

For India, preparedness must also account for the indirect consequences of climate stress. Food and livelihood insecurity and interrupted access to medicines can affect people with chronic medical conditions.

The response must therefore include early-warning systems, safe drinking water, sanitation, vector control and reliable access to healthcare. Hospitals and primary healthcare facilities should prepare for seasonal surges in illness and ensure continuity of treatment for vulnerable patients.

El Niño does not produce the same health outcomes everywhere, and local surveillance remains crucial. 

The key message is not to predict a universal disease surge, but to recognise changing risks and prepare early. Treating El Niño as a public health concern, rather than merely a meteorological event, can help reduce preventable illness and protect the most vulnerable.

The author is a critical care specialist, diabetologist, and metabolic health expert. 

 

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK. 

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