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The World Health Organization (WHO)–World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Climate and Health Joint Programme, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome have announced new regional efforts to protect South Asians from extreme heat, a rapidly escalating threat to human health and economic stability in the subcontinent.
The South Asia Climate–Health Desk, established as part of the WHO–WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and implemented with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), India Meteorological Department (IMD), and other partners will improve how climate and weather information is translated into action to protect health.
Complementing this work, the South Asia Scientific Research Consortium, supported through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, will deepen the region's scientific understanding of how heat affects different populations.
These projects are the first two components of a broader, more ambitious regional strategy to address extreme heat risks to health. As part of a growing suite of Joint Programme initiatives, including regional activities of the Global Heat Health Information Network, these are first steps of coordinated science-driven efforts to protect communities, with more updates on the broader rollout coming soon.
This announcement is the first in a series of rollouts planned in 2026, highlighting work being carried out in the region. The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome's $11.5 million investment in the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme aims to expand climate‑informed health action in vulnerable regions.
