Impact of Climate Change on Health Across Lifespan Highlighted by WHO
Scientific evidence documented in a series of articles presented by the World Health Organization this week highlights the harmful impact of climate change at key stages of the human life cycle.
“These provide important scientific evidence on how the health of pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents and older people is affected by air pollution and different climate hazards, including wildfires, flooding and extreme heat,” Anayda Portela, director of the WHO’s department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and aging, said at a briefing for journalists in Geneva.
“This evidence is critically important, because it shows the leading health risks for each of these groups for these different climate events,” Portela said. She noted that the collection of articles published in the Journal of Global Health shows that climate-related health risks “have been crucially underestimated” for younger and older people and during pregnancy, “with serious, often life-threatening implications.”
The studies find that climate-related natural hazards have some “serious mental and physical health impacts” in pregnancy, and for younger and older people. For example, the authors note that preterm births, which now are the leading cause of childhood deaths, “increase during heatwaves, while older people are more likely to suffer heart attacks or respiratory distress.”
They report that heatwaves also “affect cognitive function and therefore learning for children and adolescents.” The World Meteorological Organization’s State of Global Climate report confirms 2023 as the hottest year on record and predicts that global temperatures over “the entire five-year 2024-2028 period will exceed 1.5 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial era,” which scientists warn could lead to rapid and irreversible changes in the climate. According to the World Health Organization, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause approximately “250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone.” Portela also warned that air pollution increases the likelihood of high blood pressure during pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm birth and negative impacts on fetal brain and lung development.
Impact of Climate Change on Health Across Lifespan Highlighted by WHO
Scientific evidence documented in a series of articles presented by the World Health Organization this week highlights the harmful impact of climate change at key stages of the human life cycle.
“These provide important scientific evidence on how the health of pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents and older people is affected by air pollution and different climate hazards, including wildfires, flooding and extreme heat,” Anayda Portela, director of the WHO’s department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and aging, said at a briefing for journalists in Geneva.
“This evidence is critically important, because it shows the leading health risks for each of these groups for these different climate events,” Portela said. She noted that the collection of articles published in the Journal of Global Health shows that climate-related health risks “have been crucially underestimated” for younger and older people and during pregnancy, “with serious, often life-threatening implications.”
The studies find that climate-related natural hazards have some “serious mental and physical health impacts” in pregnancy, and for younger and older people. For example, the authors note that preterm births, which now are the leading cause of childhood deaths, “increase during heatwaves, while older people are more likely to suffer heart attacks or respiratory distress.”
They report that heatwaves also “affect cognitive function and therefore learning for children and adolescents.” The World Meteorological Organization’s State of Global Climate report confirms 2023 as the hottest year on record and predicts that global temperatures over “the entire five-year 2024-2028 period will exceed 1.5 degrees centigrade above the pre-industrial era,” which scientists warn could lead to rapid and irreversible changes in the climate. According to the World Health Organization, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is projected to cause approximately “250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone.” Portela also warned that air pollution increases the likelihood of high blood pressure during pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm birth and negative impacts on fetal brain and lung development.
This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented a series of articles detailing the adverse effects of climate change on human health throughout different stages of life. Anayda Portela, director of WHO’s department of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and aging, emphasized that the research illustrates the significant health threats posed by air pollution and climate hazards such as wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat. The studies reveal that these risks are particularly severe for pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents, and older adults, often leading to critical, life-threatening conditions.
Key findings include the increase in preterm births during heatwaves, which are a leading cause of childhood deaths, and higher rates of heart attacks and respiratory distress among older people. Heatwaves also impair cognitive function in children and adolescents. The WHO’s State of Global Climate report has declared 2023 the hottest year on record and predicts a significant rise in global temperatures in the coming years, which could have irreversible climate impacts. Additionally, climate change is expected to cause 250,000 extra deaths annually from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress between 2030 and 2050. Air pollution is also noted to elevate risks of high blood pressure, low birth weight, preterm birth, and adverse effects on fetal brain and lung development.