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From Climate & Capitalism
Summary
- Climate change is impacting child health from pregnancy to adolescence, with risks of adverse birth outcomes, higher risk of infant deaths due to air pollution and extreme heat, intensifying killer infectious diseases, and increasing malnutrition.
- One in 5 children globally live in areas experiencing double the number of extremely hot days, with children in West and Central Africa facing the highest exposure to extreme heat.
- Extreme heat poses unique threats to children and pregnant women, contributing to adverse birth outcomes, child malnutrition, non-communicable diseases, and vulnerability to infectious diseases.
One in 5 children – or 466 million – live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared to just six decades ago, according to a new UNICEF analysis.
Using a comparison between a 1960s and a 2020-2024 average, the analysis issues a stark warning about the speed and scale at which extremely hot days – measured as more than 35 degrees Celsius / 95 degrees Fahrenheit – are increasing for almost half a billion children worldwide, many without the infrastructure or services to endure it.
“The hottest summer days now seem normal,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children’s health, well-being and daily routines.”
Read the full post at Climate & Capitalism.
