CLIMB India

Climate Change and Brain Infections in India (CLIMB-India)

Summary

The Climate Change and Brain Infections in India (CLIMB-India) initiative was established under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centre for Advanced Research (CAR) programme as a multi-centre national platform to address research gaps regarding the impact of environmental shifts on severe neurological infections. Led by Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, clinical researchers, epidemiologists, and diagnostic scientists from across the country came together to build an evidence base on how shifting climate patterns, rising temperatures, and air pollution influence the risk and occurrence of brain infections nationwide.

Project Overview

“CLIMB-INDIA: A multi-centre, multidisciplinary collaborative study on the impact of climate change on brain infections” is a major national initiative supported by the ICMR and coordinated by CMC Vellore in collaboration with 10 premier medical and academic institutions across India.

1. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar
2. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi
3. Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur
4. Bikaner Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner
5. Central India Institute of Medical Sciences (CIIMS), Nagpur
6. Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
7. Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram
8. ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai
9. Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
10. North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS)

Hospital-based clinical data across regional sentinel sites are integrated with localized meteorological data and air quality indicators to examine environmental impacts on acute neurological conditions such as meningitis and encephalitis.

Advanced national reference laboratories centered at CMC Vellore provide diagnostic testing, pathogen sequencing, and analytical support for complex or unexplained cases to build predictive models, establish early warning systems, strengthen hospital preparedness, and support climate-resilient public health policies.

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