GENEVA\/NEW YORK
\nPregnant women, babies and children face extreme health risks from climate catastrophes that warrant urgent attention, according to a Call for Action released today by United Nations (UN) agencies ahead of the global Conference of the Parties (COP28) negotiations on climate change in Dubai.
\nAccording to the document\u2013 Protecting maternal, newborn and child health from the impacts of climate change \u2013 the effects of climate events on maternal and child health have been neglected, underreported and underestimated. It highlights that very few countries\u2019 climate change response plans mention maternal or child health, describing this as \u201ca glaring omission and emblematic of the inadequate attention to the needs of women, newborns, and children in the climate change discourse\u201d.
\n\u201cClimate change poses an existential threat to all of us, but pregnant women, babies and children face some of the gravest consequences of all,\u201d said Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director General for Universal Health Coverage, Life Course at the World Health Organization (WHO). \u201cChildren\u2019s 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.\u201d
\nThe year 2023 has been marked by a series of devastating climate disasters. Wildfires, floods, heatwaves and droughts are displacing people, killing crops and livestock, and worsening air pollution. An over-heating world is increasing the spread of deadly diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue, with dire consequences for pregnant women and children for whom these infections can be especially severe.
\nResearch shows that harm can begin even in the womb, leading to pregnancy-related complications, preterm birth, low birthweight and stillbirth. For children, consequences can last a lifetime, affecting the development of their bodies and brains as they grow.
\n\u201cAction on climate change often ignores that children\u2019s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to pollution, deadly diseases and extreme weather,\u201d said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, Omar Abdi. \u201cWe do this at our peril. The climate crisis is jeopardizing every child\u2019s fundamental right to health and well-being.
\nIt is our 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.\u201d The Call to Action highlights seven urgent actions to address these mounting risks.
\nThese include 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.
\n\u201cTo find climate solutions that acknowledge the distinct health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls we must start by asking the right questions,\u201d said Diene Keita, the Deputy Executive Director for Programmes at UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. \u201cGlobal climate solutions must support – not sacrifice – gender equality.\u201d
\nThe 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). The PMNCH advocacy brief reinforces the Call to Action by outlining specific recommendations for different stakeholders \u2013 including governments, global financing mechanisms, donors and foundations, private sector and civil society – for ensuring that the health needs of women, children and adolescents are better addressed in climate policies, financing, and programmes.
\n\u201cClimate change is the biggest intergenerational injustice of our times. Safeguarding the health and rights of women, children, and adolescents is non-negotiable in the face of the climate crisis\u2019\u2019, said Rt Hon Helen Clark, PMNCH Board Chair and former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
\n\u2018\u2019Every stakeholder, from governments to the private sector and health care professionals, holds a critical role in championing policies and actions that protect the most vulnerable. 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\u2019\u2019.
\nDuring the COP28 meetings, delegates will mark the first ever Day of Health, noting the intractable linkages between the health of people and the planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GENEVA\/NEW YORK Pregnant women, babies and children face extreme health risks from climate catastrophes that warrant urgent attention, according to a Call for Action released today by United Nations (UN) agencies ahead of the global Conference of the Parties (COP28) negotiations on climate change in Dubai. According to the document\u2013 Protecting maternal, newborn and child […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369563,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-369554","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n