Mothers and Children at Risk from Climate Change; UN Calls for Action
UN agencies have highlighted a significant reality: the impact of climate change on the well-being of pregnant women and children has been grievously overlooked and underreported. This emphasis precedes the United Nations (UN) climate change conference (COP28) scheduled to commence in Dubai in early December.
These agencies emphasized the glaring absence of maternal and child health considerations in the dialogue surrounding climate change, noting that only a handful of countries have addressed this critical aspect.
According to the UN climate change advocacy brief published in November 2023, the escalating global temperatures are fueling the spread of diseases such as cholera, malaria, and dengue, posing heightened risks to pregnant women and children. Infections during pregnancy can lead to preterm births and other complications, while these diseases can impede physical growth and hinder brain development in children.
Climate change is not just altering the epidemiology and geography of health conditions like respiratory ailments. It is also shifting and intensifying the spread of vector-borne diseases. Additionally, both droughts and floods have profound repercussions on agriculture, food security, housing, infrastructure, and access to clean water, sanitation, and health services. At its extreme, climate change can trigger humanitarian crises, fueling mass migration and accelerating population displacement.
The UN climate change advocacy brief released in November 2023 delineates climate change as one of the most pressing threats to humanity. The distinct risks faced by pregnant women, newborns, and children due to climate-related health impacts are outlined, urging immediate action to meet Sustainable Development Goals, with a specific focus on this vulnerable demographic.
The UN’s call to action outlines seven pivotal steps to mitigate these risks, advocating for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, bolstering climate finance, and integrating women and children into climate and disaster-related policies.
During the COP28 meetings, delegates will observe the inaugural Day of Health, acknowledging the indelible connection between human health and the planet. This event, held in September during the UN General Assembly in New York, united Heads of State and leading health and climate experts. The central theme underscored the urgent nature of the climate crisis as a health crisis, impacting nearly half of the world’s population today rather than in some distant future.
Sources:
CIDRAP
WHO
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