Wildfires and heatwaves, which generate microscopic airborne pollutants, risk undermining international efforts to improve air quality, protect human health and safeguard nature, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday (September 7, 2026).

The United Nations’ weather and climate agency underlined the links between air pollution and climate change, which scientists say is leading to more frequent and more intense heatwaves and wildfires.

“Extreme wildfires are increasing, leading to big health consequences because of the high toxicity of smoke,” the WMO said in a statement accompanying its latest annual Air Quality and Climate Bulletin.

“Whilst regulations in Europe and North America have reduced industrial and transport PM2.5 emissions, exposure to fire-related PM2.5 has increased.” the statement added.

Particulate matter PM2.5 is composed of microscopic particles and droplets of less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter, which is a health hazard because it can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.

It is emitted by fossil fuel-driven industrial activities, farming, domestic heating and transport, as well as by wildfires and dust storms.

The report said the world needs to better monitor air pollutants such as aerosol, including black carbon and microplastics, fine particles and ground-level ozone.

These pollutants “are not sufficiently monitored even though they are widespread and are potentially harmful to ecosystems”, the WMO said. “(We need) complementary and coordinated policies on air quality and climate because they cannot be dealt with in isolation.”

Toxic wildfire smoke

“Air quality and climate change can’t be dealt with separately. If one worsens, the other does too,” Lorenzo Labrador, from the WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch network of scientists, told AFP.

Also read: Warning on warming: On the UNEP report, Limiting Overshoot

“In places where there are relatively powerful forest fires, we find a lot of fine particle pollution,” he said.

“Microparticles generated by burning vegetation are much more toxic than those emitted by other sources, even car exhaust,” he stressed.

“They damage the health of people and wildlife living far from the fire itself because they are carried by the wind, but their poisonous effect is not sufficiently taken into account in air quality assessments,” Labrador said.

“Conventional risk models based on total PM2.5 concentrations may underestimate wildfire-attributable mortality by up to 93%,” the WMO said.

One study cited in the WMO Bulletin says extreme fire-smoke events have tripled globally since the 1990s, contributing to nearly 100,000 additional deaths per year between 2010 and 2018, although this may be an underestimate.

Ozone, microplastics

Another source of air pollution that carries major health risks is ground-level ozone, which accumulates when temperatures rise, atmospheric conditions stagnate and solar radiation is intense, as seen during recent heatwaves in China, Europe and the southeastern United States.

“This increased exposure to ozone pollution has the potential to lead to tens of thousands of additional premature deaths,” particularly due to respiratory diseases, the WMO warned.

Another growing concern is aerosol particles, which can also travel to oceans and continents far from their source.

They can alter the way the atmosphere reflects sunlight, change the chemical properties of land and water, and pollute otherwise clean environments.

“One example is the deposition of black carbon, or soot, on snow and ice, which reduces the amount of sunlight reflected by these surfaces and in turn can hasten the melting process,” the WMO explained.

Another example is microplastics, formed when plastics break down because of sunlight or other factors, and found virtually everywhere, in the air, the soil and the oceans.

One simulation in the WMO Bulletin estimates there are “51 million tonnes for land and 22 million tonnes for the ocean, which are in turn a source of microplastics for the atmosphere”.

“As plastic production and, critically, mismanaged plastic waste continues to increase, monitoring the airborne paths that carry microplastics from their source and dump them in remote environments will be crucial”, the report said.

Published – September 07, 2026 10:36 am IST

Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, in the limelight for his sweeping food-safety crackdown across the State, has said that public health, and not personal popularity, is what matters most to him.

Asked if his celebrity-like status following the aggressive food safety crackdown across the state is a distraction, Mr. Mundhe said, “It is not a distraction. Popularity was never my goal.”

“What matters to me are issues like public health. This is not about Tukaram Mundhe. This is about India and the goal to improve public health,” the senior IAS officer told PTI in an interview.

“The food and drugs sector affects public health. If that becomes a public agenda by my actions and role, I will be happy about it,” Mr. Mundhe said. Asked if his aggressive enforcement approach makes him vulnerable to political or administrative pressure, Mr. Mundhe said, “It is not aggressive. I am doing what I am supposed to do diligently. I have been doing this across my two decades of public service.”

“I believe this has to become a public agenda because it is the issue of public health. Citizens at large need to make public health the most important issue,” Mr. Mundhe added.

“We cannot become a superpower if our human resources are not healthy,” he said.

Asked how many establishments have been shut, licenses suspended or cancelled, or criminal cases registered against them since he took charge as the FDA chief in May, Mr. Mundhe said the number of such entities is 12,083.

Improvement notices have been given to 5,269 and suspension orders given to 603 entities, he said.

In case of hotels, restaurant and eateries, there have been 1803 inspections, Mr. Mundhe said. Improvement notices were given in 948 cases and licenses were suspended in 199 cases, he added.

In case of pharmacies, 740 licenses have been cancelled or suspended over various violations during his tenure, said Mundhe, who was appointed as the FDA Commissioner in May 2026, marking the 25th transfer of his 21-year career.

Asked to name the three most common food safety violations in restaurants, Mr. Mundhe said they are hygiene and manufacturing protocols, quality of raw materials and lack of trained manpower.

To a query on the responsibility of online food ordering and delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato to ensure food safety, Mr. Mundhe said, “Basically, they are food business operators as per the law, but they don’t think so. They have godowns. We have taken action against them.”

On the FDA’s notices to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff for appearing in an elaichi advertisement, which it suspects is a surrogate promotion for a banned paan ad, Mr. Mundhe said two of them have responded so far.

“There is still time left of the 30-day period given to them to respond, he added.

On the Bombay High Court criticizing FDA’s handling of the Cipla case, Mr. Mundhe said there was no “procedural mistake” by FDA in the matter.

FDA had cancelled Cipla Pharma’s drug sale licenses due to serious storage and handling irregularities at its Pune unit.

“It was not a procedural mistake. It was a little error,” he said. “My officer went overboard, became too liberal and gave them a last opportunity to be heard. However, that hearing was kept on a public holiday,” he said. “We have reissued the notice and are taking a call on it,” he added.

Asked if there are any plans to change FDA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) after the court comments, Mundhe said, “We are going as per the law. There is no need to change SOPs. If there are some procedural errors, we take serious cognizance,” he said.

To a query on how serious is the problem of substandard and spurious medicines in Maharashtra, Mundhe said, “It is there, but very difficult to quantify.”

“I have taken a meeting of my officers and told them not to inspect the manufacturing process mechanically. You need to focus on process audit. Good distribution practices is a big issue and many of them (manufacturers) do not follow it. So, we are focusing on that also,” Mr. Mundhe said.

Asked if online pharmacies and medicine delivery platforms face the same level of scrutiny as physical pharmacies, Mr. Mundhe said, “They do. Selling online is not prohibited presently, but they have to follow drug and cosmetic Act and rules.”

Mr. Mundhe also spoke about FDA’s resource requirements. Asked if it has enough manpower and lab equipment to carry out inspections in the entire state, he said, “As of now, I think our labs are sufficient, but we need to enhance the capacity. That is why four labs are being constructed.”

“Our staffing pattern has been processed and submitted to the government. We have created a roadmap and submitted a proposal to the government as per the regulations.

“I would not say there is a manpower shortage because most of the sanctioned posts have been filled, except those of drug inspectors, as the recruitment exam was cancelled,” he said.

The Maharashtra Public Service Commission conducted the examination for recruitment to Drug Inspector (Group-B) posts in the FDA in March, but cancelled it after it found a breach of confidentiality in the examination process. Seven persons have been arrested so far in connection with the question paper leak.

Published – September 06, 2026 12:41 pm IST

Saritha, 27, could not manage to exclusively breastfeed her sons — now aged four and eight — for the recommended first six months despite having normal institutional deliveries. She works as a domestic help in central Delhi’s Rajendra Nagar. Her husband drives for a ride-hailing platform and takes up odd jobs such as washing cars and serving at weddings to support the family. 

“I returned to work within two months of my delivery and had no option but to introduce infant formula before my sons turned six months old. If I do not work, we cannot pay rent or meet our living expenses. Every new birth comes with additional costs. Besides, my in-laws live with us and are financially dependent on us,” she said. 

Saritha is among a growing number of mothers in India unable to exclusively breastfeed (EBF) their infants for the recommended six months. 

Why EBF matters 

EBF is considered one of the most effective interventions for ensuring the survival and healthy development of the child. Breast milk provides all the nutrients an infant needs during the first six months of life. It contains antibodies that protect against common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections, supports healthy growth and brain development, and lowers the risk of malnutrition and infant mortality. 

For mothers, breastfeeding helps in recovery after childbirth and reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. 

Since it is safe, hygienic and cost-effective, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recommend initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth and continuing it for the first six months. 

Consequently, trends in EBF are closely monitored in India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS) because they are important indicators of child health, nutrition and overall public health progress. Lower EBF rates can adversely affect child nutrition, increase infections and healthcare costs, and slow progress in reducing child mortality. 

The latest NFHS-6 indicates worrying trends. 

A worrying decline 

Despite 90.6% of deliveries in the country now being institutional, fewer infants are exclusively breastfed during the first six months after birth. Although early initiation of breastfeeding has improved from 41.8% to 50.1%, EBF declined from 63.7% in NFHS-5 to 55.8% over the same period, as per NFHS-6 (2023-24).

NFHS-6 data show some of the sharpest declines in exclusive breastfeeding in India’s largest States. In Uttar Pradesh, EBF fell from 59.7% to 34.6% while in Haryana it fell from 69.5% to 41.2%. Delhi witnessed a drop from 64.3% to 54% as well. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh also recorded declines. 

In contrast, Kerala, Gujarat and West Bengal registered improvements in EBF rates. 

What is also worrying is that, as per the survey, the decline in EBF was observed in both urban and rural India, but it was steeper in rural areas where breastfeeding rates have traditionally remained stable. 

Data show that EBF among infants below six months fell from 65.1% to 56.2% in rural areas. In urban areas, it declined from 59.6% to 54.5%. 

A paradox 

What makes the decline particularly striking is that it comes at a time when India has made significant gains in maternal and child health. 

Early initiation of breastfeeding has improved, maternity benefits have expanded, and women are more financially and digitally empowered than ever before. The NFHS-6 also points to substantial improvements in women’s empowerment. Nearly 89% of women now participate in key household decisions while a similar proportion operate their own bank accounts. Digital inclusion has expanded rapidly, with Internet use among women rising from 33.3% in NFHS-5 to 64.3% in NFHS-6. Yet fewer infants are being exclusively breastfed during the first six months. 

“The decline in EBF despite these improvements indicates that empowerment alone may not be sufficient. Growing economic pressures, informal employment, lack of maternity protection, inadequate workplace support and limited postnatal assistance continue to constrain many mothers’ ability to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the recommended first six months,” said Arun Gupta, paediatrician and public health advocate recognised for his decades-long drive to promote breastfeeding. 

Obstacles to EBF 

Health experts attribute the decline, particularly in rural India, to increased migration and seasonal labour, early return to agricultural and informal work, changing family structures, erosion of traditional support networks, greater penetration of packaged foods and formula products, weak postnatal counselling and rising caesarean deliveries. 

The sharp rise in C-section rates — from 21.5% to 27.2%, accounting for more than half of all births in private hospitals — is also cited as a contributing factor.

Breastfeeding advocates say surgical deliveries can make early initiation and continuation of breastfeeding more challenging, especially in the absence of adequate postnatal lactation support.

“Common medical reasons for not being able to exclusively breastfeed include delayed initiation of breastfeeding after delivery, especially following a C-section; perceived or actual low milk supply; lack of breastfeeding counselling and family support; maternal illness or complications; and difficulties faced by premature or low birth weight infants,” said Delhi Medical Association member Anil Bansal.

Increased urbanisation, changing lifestyles, inconsistent maternity benefits and the marketing of infant formula appear to be prompting many families to introduce formula milk or complementary foods earlier than recommended. 

Cultural practices such as giving water, honey, animal milk or other pre-lacteal feeds before six months can also undermine potential EBF benefits, say experts.

Vandana, 32, became a mother four years ago. An HR consultant at a private firm, she was unable to exclusively breastfeed her child for the recommended six months. 

“After my C-section, despite skin-to-skin contact, lactation support and frequent feeding attempts, I could not produce enough milk to meet my baby’s nutritional needs. Supplementation became necessary,” she said, adding that early counselling may have helped in her case. 

Most mothers are aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, but successful breastfeeding often depends on maternity leave, family support, counselling and access to lactation assistance. 

Alternative feeding 

When breastfeeding is not possible, the WHO recommends infant formula as an alternative. Some hospitals also provide pasteurised donor human milk, particularly for preterm and unwell newborns. However, public health experts stress that formula is intended as a substitute when breastfeeding cannot be sustained, not as a replacement for breast milk. 

Raw cow’s milk, goat’s milk and plant-based milks are generally not suitable as the main food for infants under 12 months because they do not provide the right balance of nutrients and may be difficult for babies to digest, say experts. 

Policy measures 

In India, the government promotes breastfeeding through a combination of health services, counselling, maternity benefits and nutrition programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and Integrated Child Development Services. Additionally, Comprehensive Lactation Management Centres and Lactation Management Units provide lactation support and donor human milk for premature and unwell newborns when the mother’s milk is unavailable. 

India also has the Infant Milk Substitutes (IMS) Act, one of the world’s strongest laws that restricts the promotion of infant formula and protects breastfeeding from commercial marketing pressure. 

However, Dr. Gupta said aggressive marketing of infant formula and substitutes could still undermine breastfeeding and should be strictly regulated. He also said breastfeeding should begin within one hour of birth and continue alongside complementary feeding for up to two years and beyond. “Breastfeeding promotion should be viewed as a public health measure, not merely an individual lifestyle choice,” he added. 

According to Dr. Gupta, breastfeeding is among the most cost-effective public health interventions, even as data expose a gap between policy success and lived reality. 

While India has invested heavily in promoting institutional deliveries, maternity benefits and infant nutrition programmes, EBF rates continue to slip. Data suggest that getting mothers safely through childbirth may be only half the challenge; ensuring that they have the time, financial security, workplace support and family assistance needed to breastfeed exclusively for six months remains an unfinished task. 

Informal sector

Women employed in the organised sector are entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, amended in 2017. 

Unfortunately, these protections are largely confined to the organised sector. Many women working in the informal sector return to work soon after childbirth. 

According to the e-Shram portal, a national database of unorganised workers, more than 16.69 crore women were registered as workers in the unorganised sector as of 2025. 

Additionally, the Periodic Labour Force Survey shows that most working women are self-employed, casual workers, agricultural workers, domestic workers, home-based workers or are employed in small informal enterprises. The Labour and Employment Ministry has consistently noted that women’s employment remains concentrated in the informal economy. As a result, maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, crèche facilities and lactation rooms remain inaccessible to a majority of working women.

Health experts say this disconnect raises a fundamental policy question: can India expect mothers to exclusively breastfeed for six months when most receive neither income support nor workplace protection during that period? 

Shweta, 25, the mother of a five-year-old girl, said many women working alongside her in a garment factory in Noida could not exclusively breastfeed their children. 

“Rising inflation and the fact that we work on contracts do not allow us the luxury of taking long breaks. We are daily wagers and are paid according to the amount of work we complete. My husband is an autorickshaw driver. If my husband and I stop working, it becomes difficult to meet household expenses, including rent,” said Shweta, who has decided not to have more children.

“Our aim is to provide the best possible education to our daughter and ensure that she has a better life than us,” she said, adding that nobody in her household has completed schooling. 

Dr. Gupta says that maternity benefits and breastfeeding support systems, particularly for women employed in the informal sector, need to be strengthened. 

According to Dr. Bansal, while policies and hospitals could help promote breastfeeding, sustaining EBF for six months depends largely on what happens after a mother leaves the delivery ward. 

“India recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding and guarantees 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. But the benefit largely applies to women in formal employment. For the vast majority working in agriculture, domestic work, construction and other informal occupations, breastfeeding recommendations often collide with economic reality, and these women, who are most in need of support, are often the least likely to receive it,” said Dr. Bansal.

bindu.p@thehindu.co.in

Edited by Vibhooti Bhatnagar

Students being checked for anaemia as part of a medical camp. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

During the Tamil months of Chithirai and Vaikasi (April to June), temple festivals gather momentum across Tamil Nadu. On festival days, village squares and temple grounds slowly fill up even as the sun beats down mercilessly through the afternoon. By evening, performances of song, dance, drama, and ritual begin; people drop in, stay awhile, applaud, and move on, as the night wears on. For the artistes, though, the work starts hours before the first drumbeat and stretches well past the last act, and includes long spells of waiting, preparation, and travel before the performance itself.

A living archive

Tamil Nadu has a vast tradition of folk arts that span rituals, storytelling, music, and movement — from Koothu forms and Oppari lamentations to Parai drumming, Devarattam, Bommalattam (puppetry), and performances in front of the village deity. Many of these traditions are inseparable from temple festivals, agricultural cycles, and caste- and region-specific practices, and form part of a living cultural archive sustained often through oral transmission. In recent years, the State has sought to safeguard and promote these traditions through cultural festivals, documentation, and platforms that bring rural artistes to urban audiences. However, artistes face multiple pressures — among them is heat stress, an overlooked but increasingly felt challenge while performing under open skies.

The Kaniyan Koothu is an ancient folk performance tradition practised by members of the Kaniyan, a Scheduled Tribe community, in Tirunelveli district. Combining music, dance, singing, and narration, it is typically staged at temple festivals, particularly in rituals dedicated to the folk deity, Sudalai, where performers invoke the deity’s spirit through the recital.

Ganesha Moorthy, 45, from Vadakkankulam, describes his art form as an oral tradition passed down through generations. Performing largely across Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, and Kanniyakumari, in a troupe of seven to eight members, he said, “We sing the stories of Sivasudalai Maadan, Pechiamma, Karuppasamy, and also Sivapuranam, Empuranam, Kannagi Puranam, and so on.”

Made to wait

Their performances usually run through the night, from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. “After the show, it takes an hour or so to pack our things up, and then we are usually made to wait for a couple of hours for payment, as the village head has some work. Sometimes, we are given tea,” Mr. Moorthy  said, adding that the troupe typically arrives at venues well in advance during the day and spends hours waiting before the performance begins.

Hours spent waiting in open grounds, rehearsing under tin roofs, putting on and performing in heavy costumes are factors that are turning summer festivals into tests of endurance for folk artistes, who say rising heat is becoming another challenge layered onto the existing concerns such as shrinking patronage and dwindling audiences for folk arts.

About 74% of the people in Tamil Nadu are now living in areas where the air temperatures regularly hit over 35 degrees Celsius, according to a study released by the State Planning Commission (SPC) in 2025. Of the State’s 389 administrative blocks, 94 have experienced a ‘very high change’ in heat intensity from 1981 to 2023.

M. Chandrakumar, a resident of Kilnathur in Tiruvannamalai district, is an Oppari singer who has been performing for 30 years. While Oppari  remains his primary art form, he trained in Periya Melam to supplement his income, as he says Oppari performances occur sporadically, typically following deaths in and around his village and often only for a few days each month. Despite three decades of experience, he says he may not be able to perform as long as the elders, from whom he learnt. “Around katthiri (the peak summer), it is not easy to perform without wearing slippers,” he adds.

In addition to the rising average daytime heat, nearly 70% of the districts in Tamil Nadu now have “very warm nights”, with temperatures between 26°C and 28°C. High night-time heat creates a cycle of thermal stress with no breaks, because it prevents the human body from shedding the heat accumulated during the day.

Lack of nocturnal relief

When minimum temperatures stay between 26°C and 28°C, the body’s natural cooling mechanisms are disrupted, leading to cumulative exhaustion, poor sleep quality, and increased cardiovascular strain. This lack of nocturnal relief is particularly dangerous for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and outdoor workers, as it significantly diminishes physical recovery and long-term productivity, the SPC study notes.

According to the study, the number of administrative blocks recording high night-time minimums has surged from just six blocks 20 years ago to 80 blocks today. Several artistes say many among them live with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, which may force them to step away from performance earlier than expected. While some take comfort in their children’s education as a safety net, it also means the younger generation is less likely to enter the arts, as many folk artistes themselves hope their children will move on to greener pastures. With senior performers retiring sooner and fewer successors stepping in, what does this mean for the future of folk traditions? Anitha Pottamkulam, Director-Culture, Dakshina Chitra, says that while factors such as migration have always affected the continuity of traditional art, climate change has worsened the situation. “They are dislocated. There is a loss of habitat and a loss of access to the materials and ecological resources they need to practise their craft. To that extent, climate and ecological change definitely adds to the existing challenges,” she says.

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), traditional understandings of climate-related loss have largely centred on impacts that are measurable and monetisable, while non-economic losses — those not reducible to financial terms — remain significant yet under-recognised. Cultural heritage, in particular, has been largely absent from climate agreements and policy discussions, the UNFCCC notes. While heat affects everyone and all performances, its impact is not experienced uniformly. Human vulnerability to heat extends beyond physiological responses to include socio-economic factors such as income, access to healthcare, and housing conditions, the SPC study notes.

Little basic comfort

G. Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal and a member of the Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change says folk artistes are frequently transported in cramped vans and rest at government schools, community halls, or in asbestos-roof shelters, leaving little scope for their bodies to thermoregulate. “When it comes to upper-caste arts, performances are often held in air-conditioned sabhas, but OBC and Dalit artistes usually perform in open rural spaces. Apart from differences in remuneration, there is a lack of basic comfort for the artistes,” he says.

For Shyamala and members of her Thirunangaiyar Kaali Aattam Kalai Kuzhu, an all-transwomen troupe from Cuddalore district, the discomforts are compounded. “We can’t even imagine using the restrooms at most places as they are all makeshift ones,” she says. As a result, they often avoid drinking too much water or even tea, even while wearing elaborate costumes and performing for long hours.

If performers face heat-related challenges, instrument makers — particularly those making thol karuvi or skin-based instruments — experience them even more acutely. P. Matheswaran, an Aadhi Melampractitioner from Salem district, describes enduring heat beyond performance hours. “The instrument we use is a thol karuvi. It holds the sruthi correctly only for a short period, so we have to keep heating it in a very specific way and for a set duration, not for too long, to get the right tone. During the summer months, it is a struggle to sit and hold the instrument, heating it over the fire,” he says.

Artistes spend long hours outdoors, performing through the night and then facing the morning heat, often without adequate time for their bodies to recover. “I started when I was a 10-year-old boy. In these 30 years, I can see how much things have changed. Our group has around 12 people. Many of them, including me, get exhausted more often now, or struggle to sleep properly after a show, even on nights when we don’t perform,” says Mr. Chandrakumar. During the off-season, he adds, they also take up daily wage labour, sometimes in neighbouring districts, to make ends meet. Ms. Pottamkulam says migration does not always sever tradition. “For example, Chennai has a very strong urban folk culture and this is really a product of people who have migrated from rural areas. Some performances are as grand as those in villages, though adapted to an urban scale. However, continuity depends on context. Certain forms, once removed from their original social and ecological milieu, struggle to survive,” she adds.

While government advisories urge people to remain indoors during peak morning heat, Mr. Sundarrajan points out that informal outdoor workers receive no compensation for lost workdays. Drawing a parallel with lean-period support extended to fisherfolk, he says vulnerable groups like folk artistes should also be considered a climate-vulnerable group and given compensation.

Systematic health check-ups

K. Manivasan, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Department, says the Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board, under the Department of Art and Culture, has over 50,000 registered members, many of whom have received financial assistance for education and marriage. However, he notes, two key areas require attention. The first is the need for systematic health check-ups and regular screening camps for artistes. “The Welfare Board will work with the Health Department for this,” he says. The second is ensuring that all artistes are covered under health insurance schemes. He adds efforts will also be made to enrol more artistes in the Board.

(This story is part of the Asian College of Journalism’s Climate Change Media Hub Mentorship Programme.)