MUZAFFARGARH:Climate change is emerging as one of the most serious threats to human health in the 21st century, with rising temperatures, intensifying heatwaves and environmental hazards posing growing risks to vulnerable populations in Pakistan.
Experts have called for urgent, coordinated action to strengthen the country’s healthcare system and develop locally tailored heat-response strategies to protect public health.
These concerns came to the forefront at the second ICON Doctors Conference, organised at Indus Hospital, Muzaffargarh, as part of ICON 2026, the Indus Hospital and Health Network’s eighth biennial international conference. The conference brought together local and international medical experts to discuss the health implications of climate change, disaster preparedness and the need to integrate environmental considerations into healthcare policy.
During a plenary session at ICON 2026, experts highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability to extreme heat, maintaining that the country ranks third globally among those facing significant risks from rising temperatures and environmental hazards. Approximately 80.6 per cent of Pakistan’s population is reportedly at risk of exposure to extreme temperatures and environmental threats, underscoring the urgency of effective preventive measures.
Dr Paul Charlton stressed that Pakistan must urgently develop locally relevant heat action plans to protect communities against increasingly severe heatwaves. Drawing on the experience of Arizona in the United States, he called for the adoption of emergency response measures suited to Pakistan’s climatic conditions, healthcare infrastructure and population needs.
He particularly emphasised the vulnerability of people aged 60 and above, who may face greater risks from extreme heat, and called for immediate protective policies to minimise heat-related illness and deaths.
Dr Charlton also underscored the need for the medical community to move beyond its traditional role of treating patients and actively contribute to environmental policymaking, public awareness and preventive healthcare. He observed that climate change has become one of the defining global health challenges of the 21st century, requiring sustained collaboration between healthcare professionals, governments and communities.
Addressing the broader implications of environmental and natural disasters, Suleman Ahmer highlighted that emergencies often begin far beyond hospital walls. He explained that damaged roads, the closure of educational institutions and disruptions to communication networks can severely restrict patients’ access to medical facilities during crises.
He maintained that hospital emergency departments alone cannot meet the healthcare needs of entire communities during large-scale disasters. A comprehensive response, he said, requires collective planning, institutional coordination and stronger systems capable of maintaining essential healthcare services under challenging circumstances.
Suleman Ahmer further emphasised that combining ethical values with sound administrative capacity can help institutions ensure continuity of services during emergencies. Strengthening preparedness and coordination across sectors is essential to protecting vulnerable communities when environmental hazards and natural disasters disrupt everyday life.
Professor Dr Muhammad Shoaib Shafi highlighted the growing burden of diseases associated with climate change and heatwaves in Pakistan. He stressed that environmental medicine and crisis management should be incorporated into postgraduate medical education and professional curricula to prepare healthcare practitioners for emerging public health challenges.
He maintained that climate-related illnesses require a more proactive healthcare approach, with greater emphasis on prevention, early identification, emergency preparedness and evidence-based clinical practice.
Dr Abdul Bari Khan said that Indus Hospital’s mission extends beyond providing free healthcare to building a sustainable, resilient and effective healthcare system. He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to improving community health and promoting environmental protection in Muzaffargarh, South Punjab and across Pakistan.
The conference also called upon federal and provincial governments, policymakers and civil society organisations to develop a coordinated strategy for addressing climate change and its consequences for public health. Experts emphasised that effective responses would require stronger health policies, community-level preparedness, public awareness and collaboration among relevant institutions.
ICON 2026 is addressing a wide range of emerging medical and scientific challenges, including artificial intelligence in healthcare, climate-adaptive trauma care, organ transplantation and advanced treatments for paediatric brain and neurological cancers. More than 100 workshops and symposia were held across the country ahead of the conference, while the programme features over 50 scientific sessions, plenary panels and research posters.
The international conference commenced in Karachi, where its sessions were held from October 8 to 10. The second phase is taking place in Muzaffargarh on October 14, while the concluding sessions are scheduled for October 16 and 17 in Lahore.
Overall, the discussions at ICON 2026 highlighted a central message: climate change is no longer solely an environmental concern but an increasingly urgent public health challenge. As Pakistan faces mounting risks from extreme heat and other environmental hazards, strengthening healthcare preparedness, protecting vulnerable populations and embedding climate considerations into public health policy will be critical to safeguarding lives and building a more resilient healthcare system.