For Indian parents, frequent illness has quietly become part of everyday life. A fever that returns within weeks. A cough that lingers across seasons. A stomach infection that disrupts school routines repeatedly. This is not simply about “weak immunity.” It reflects how dramatically a child’s environment has changed.
From rising heatwaves to polluted air and unsafe water, climate stress is now present throughout a child’s day, continuously testing their developing immune system.
Morning: When Climate Stress Begins Early
Many children wake up already dehydrated during extreme heat or humid monsoon mornings. High night-time temperatures disrupt sleep, and poor sleep weakens immune response even before the day begins. During monsoons, clothes and uniforms often dry indoors and retain moisture, creating conditions where microbes thrive.
As Dr. Bhaskar Shenoy, HOD & Consultant - Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bangalore, points out, “A child’s immune system is still learning what to fight and what to ignore. When daily exposure to germs increases because of heat, humidity, or damp environments, immunity gets distracted, responding to repeated low-level threats instead of building long-term strength.”
What helps is starting the day with hydration, ensuring clothes are completely clean and dry, and using laundry disinfectants for uniforms, towels, and bedding. These steps reduce daily microbial exposure that immunity would otherwise have to fight repeatedly.
School Hours: Close Contact and Shared Spaces
Schools bring prolonged close contact with other children. Shared desks, books, washrooms, and play areas allow infections to spread easily, especially when children are already heat-stressed or fatigued.
Handwashing remains one of the strongest protective habits. Using a handwash before eating, after play, and after using the toilet significantly lowers the risk of both respiratory and gut infections. At home, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces like study tables, switches, door handles, couches with a surface disinfectant spray help prevent germs from circulating back into the household.
Afternoon and Evening: The Air Children Breathe
In many Indian cities, air quality worsens as the day progresses. During winter smog or high pollution days, children inhale fine particles, pollen, dust, virus and pollutants that irritate airways and weaken respiratory immunity. Repeated exposure leads to lingering coughs, wheezing, and frequent respiratory infections.
Dr. Bhaskar adds, “polluted air doesn’t just trigger symptoms; it weakens the protective lining of the respiratory tract, making it easier for viruses and bacteria to take hold.” On days of poor air quality or during spikes in viral infections, BIS-certified FFP2 S masks offer high filtration and help reduce what young lungs are forced to process. When children must step outdoors in hazardous conditions, respiratory protection can meaningfully lower exposure and support lung health.
Mealtimes: The Gut–Immunity Connection
A large share of the immune system sits in the gut. During heatwaves and monsoons, food spoils faster and water contamination becomes more common. Even mild stomach infections disrupt gut health and weaken immunity for weeks, making children more vulnerable to repeated illness.
Safe drinking water, freshly cooked meals, proper food storage, and clean hands before eating help protect this critical immune foundation.
Night: Recovery or Continued Strain
Night-time is when the immune system repairs and resets. But heat, pollution-triggered coughing, or irregular routines often interfere with deep sleep. Over time, poor sleep compounds the immune stress caused by climate extremes.
Maintaining consistent sleep routines, ensuring clean bedding, and keeping indoor environments hygienic allows the body to recover and build resilience.
Why Homes Are Now the Frontline of Immunity
India’s changing climate means children face immune stress throughout the day, not just during seasonal outbreaks. Nutrition alone is no longer enough. Prevention today depends on a combination of regular handwashing, disinfected and clean clothes and bedding, disinfected home surfaces, safe food and water, respiratory protection during high-risk periods, and stable daily routines.
Savlon Swasth India Mission believes in hygiene as the cornerstone of prevention. In a climate-stressed world, these everyday actions are not just about cleanliness. They give children’s immune systems the space they need to grow stronger, rather than constantly fighting the next infection.
Since 2016, ITC's Savlon Swasth India Mission has touched the lives of over 14 million children with its innovative outreach and is one of the largest hand hygiene education programmes run globally. This ongoing initiative has effectively instilled hand hygiene practices among primary school students, demonstrating tangible results leading to habit change.
As per the Kantar impact report in March 2024 commissioned to assess impact for the Savlon Swasth India Mission in select centres, it was observed that there is an increase in overall handwashing occasions by children who have attended the programme. Mothers also perceived their child’s health to have gotten better post the campaign which points to the initiative’s role in increasing awareness about handwashing. The study also reports on higher compliance to handwashing occasions by children who had been a part of the program. The school initiative has also generated conversations where children are discussing about the initiative and mothers are discussing about the improvements in their child’s handwashing habits and the program benefits.
With a focus on innovation in design and communication, the mission has introduced various initiatives such as Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks, Savlon ID Guard, and the recent Hand Ambassador and Handwashing Legend campaigns, all aimed at fostering education and promoting good hygiene habits.
Savlon Swasth India is a mission towards ensuring the good health of all our children and thus enhancing their performance to shape the future of a billion dreams. Healthier kids, stronger India!
Issued in public interest by Savlon Swasth India Mission
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