The Executive Director of the State Health Systems Resource Centre - Kerala (SHSRC-K), Dr. V. Jithesh, was invited to the prestigious “Climate Change and Public Health Colloquium” on July 8, 2024, organized by the T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal, in collaboration with The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia.

The event commenced with an introduction to the T. A. Pai Management Institute and an overview of J-PAL’s impactful work in leveraging scientific evidence to reduce poverty and shape effective policies. A technical session followed, delving into the fundamentals of randomized control trials (RCTs) and their critical role in policymaking. Dr. V. Jithesh, representing SHSRC-K, presented the centre’s pioneering public health research initiatives in Kerala, highlighting its role, responsibilities, and ongoing as well as completed projects. Dr. Jithesh extended an invitation for collaboration to participants, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in advancing public health research. The first half of the colloquium concluded with an engaging panel discussion, where researchers and experts shared insights on the execution and challenges of RCTs.

A key highlight of the event was a closed-door session featuring findings from a J-PAL-sponsored study on climate-induced dengue proliferation in Kerala. The study, presented by Dr. Remya Tressa Jacob and Dr. Vijay Victor under the guidance of Dr. Rudra Sensarma, shed light on critical public health challenges. Dr. Jithesh provided valuable insights on the findings and discussed strategies to translate them into scalable interventions.

This colloquium served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, fostering innovative solutions to address the intersection of climate change and public health. SHSRC-K remains committed to advancing research and welcomes partnerships to drive impactful change.