Pregnant women, babies and children face extreme health risks from climate catastrophes that warrant urgent attention.
According to a Call for Action released on Thursday by United Nations (UN) agencies ahead of the global Conference of the Parties (COP28) negotiations on climate change in Dubai, protecting maternal, newborn and child health from the impacts of climate change, the effects of climate events on maternal and child health have been neglected, underreported and underestimated.
The Call to Action was released by WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA at an online launch event, alongside an advocacy brief by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH).
In a statement by the WHO, the report highlights that very few countries’ climate change response plans mention maternal or child health, describing it as “a glaring omission and emblematic of the inadequate attention to the needs of women, newborns, and children in the climate change discourse.
Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO) says that “Climate change poses an existential threat to all of us, but pregnant women, babies and children face some of the gravest consequences of all”.
He added that Children’s futures need to be consciously protected, which means taking climate action now for the sake of their health and survival while ensuring their unique needs are recognized in the climate response.
“Action on climate change often ignores that children’s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to pollution, deadly diseases and extreme weather,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, Omar Abdi
He added that the climate crisis is jeopardizing every child’s fundamental right to health and well-being and therefore it is everybody’s collective responsibility to listen and put children at the centre of urgent climate action, beginning at COP28.
This is the moment to finally put children on the climate change agenda,” said Abdi.
Diene Keita, the Deputy Executive Director for Programmes at UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency said that Global climate solutions must support and not sacrifice gender equality.
“To find climate solutions that acknowledge the distinct health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls we must start by asking the right questions,” said Keita,
Rt Hon Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair and former Prime Minister of New Zealand said the urgency to integrate women, children and adolescent health needs into climate responses is not just a moral imperative, but an effective strategy with long-term benefits for resilient and healthy societies
“Every stakeholder, from governments to the private sector and civil society, including health care professionals, holds a critical role in championing policies and actions which protect the most vulnerable”, Clark added.
The Call-to-Action highlights seven urgent actions to address these mounting risks namely sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and action on climate finance, alongside the specific inclusion of the needs of pregnant women, babies and children within climate and disaster-related policies.
The agencies also call for more research to better understand the impacts of climate change on maternal and child health.
According to WHO, Research shows that harm can begin even in the womb, leading to pregnancy-related complications, preterm birth, low birth weight and stillbirth. For children, consequences can last a lifetime, affecting the development of their bodies and brains as they grow.
During the COP28 meetings taking place between 30th November and 12th December, delegates will mark the first-ever Day of Health, noting the intractable linkages between the health of people and the planet.
By Wangari Ndirangu
