As extreme heat intensifies around world, World Health Organization, World Meteorological Organization, UNICEF and United Nations Population Fund launched first-ever set of priority indicators. New indicators help countries track health impacts of heat on pregnant women, newborns and children, strengthening preparedness, improving monitoring, accelerating response and protection effectively.
New framework designed to strengthen preparedness, improve monitoring, accelerate response, actions will help protect some of populations most vulnerable to climate-related health risks globally.
Evidence Shows Harm From Pregnancy To Childhood
Studies continue to provide evidence exposure to extreme heat can harm health from pregnancy to childhood, leading to 26 percent increase in odds of preterm birth. Newborns also increasingly exposed, with babies under one year of age experiencing 389 percent more heatwave days in 2024 compared with 1986 to 2005 baseline.
Globally, estimated 1.5 billion children exposed to heatwaves that becoming more frequent, longer or more severe, creating new risks for health worldwide.
WHO Calls For Data To Recognize Reality
As world continues to heat up, it creates new risks for health, and older people, pregnant women, newborns and children among least able to escape them. That statement from Bruce Gordon, Director a.i. of WHO Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, emphasizing need for data and action.
Gordon said health systems need data to recognize reality and take action, from protecting people during heatwaves to embedding climate risk consideration into everyday health services.
New Report Recommendations
New report recommends countries monitor preterm births, stillbirths, low birthweight, pregnancy hypertension, child deaths and health-facility visits during extreme heat for early detection. Monitoring school attendance can also help reveal how heat is disrupting children’s lives, providing broader picture of impacts beyond direct health outcomes and hospital visits.
What Health Systems Do Not Count Cannot Respond
Heat already affecting most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, newborns and children, but what health systems do not count, they cannot respond to. That statement from Dr Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, highlighting importance of monitoring.
Allotey said by tracking outcomes such as preterm birth, child deaths and illnesses, and health-facility visits alongside heat exposure, countries can identify potential impacts.
By tracking outcomes alongside heat exposure, countries can take action to protect women and children from preventable harm through targeted interventions and warnings.
Routine Health Data Plus Heat Exposure Data
Routine health data and heat-exposure data such as air temperature can help identify possible heat-related signals that assist countries identifying unusual changes during extreme periods. Information can help health authorities prepare facilities for increased demand, strengthen warnings to pregnant women and families, identify communities at greatest risk and improve planning.
As extreme heat fast becoming common feature of warming world, WHO calling on countries to strengthen ability to monitor and respond to its health impacts effectively.
By using new priority indicators in this report, governments can better identify risks, target interventions and protect pregnant women, newborns and children from preventable harm.
Heat-Health Action Plans Context-Specific Needed
WHO also urges all countries to develop and implement heat-health action plans that are context-specific, and that integrate needs of vulnerable populations and strengthen systems. Plans should strengthen early warning systems and trigger timely action when heat risks emerge, protecting those least able to escape extreme heat impacts and consequences.
Good news, new framework offers practical tools for countries to embed climate risk consideration into everyday health services, from warnings to facility preparedness and response.
Q&A
Q: What did WHO, WMO, UNICEF, UNFPA launch to track health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations?
A: Agencies launched first-ever set of priority indicators to help countries track health impacts of heat on pregnant women, newborns, children, strengthening preparedness, monitoring, response.
Q: What health outcomes does new WHO report recommend countries monitor during extreme heat for pregnant women and children?
A: Report recommends monitoring preterm births, stillbirths, low birthweight, pregnancy hypertension, child deaths, health-facility visits during extreme heat, plus school attendance revealing disruption of children’s lives.
Q: What did Bruce Gordon and Dr Pascale Allotey say about data, counting, and protecting vulnerable from heat?
A: Gordon said health systems need data to recognize reality and take action embedding climate risk into services; Allotey said what health systems do not count they cannot respond to.
FAQ
Q: How does extreme heat affect preterm birth odds and newborn heatwave exposure according to studies cited?
A: Studies show exposure to extreme heat leading to 26 percent increase in odds of preterm birth, babies under one year experiencing 389 percent more heatwave days in 2024 versus baseline.
Q: How many children globally are exposed to heatwaves becoming more frequent, longer, or more severe?
A: Globally estimated 1.5 billion children exposed to heatwaves becoming more frequent, longer or more severe, creating new health risks for those least able to escape.
Q: How can routine health data and heat-exposure data like air temperature help countries identify heat-related signals?
A: Routine health data plus heat-exposure data can help identify possible heat-related signals assisting countries identifying unusual changes during extreme periods, conduct further investigation and act accordingly.
Q: How can information from new indicators help health authorities prepare facilities and improve heat-health planning?
A: Information can help prepare facilities for increased demand, strengthen warnings to pregnant women and families, identify communities at greatest risk and improve heat-health planning and preparedness.
Q: What does WHO urge all countries to develop to protect pregnant women, newborns, children from preventable heat harm?
A: WHO urges all countries to develop and implement context-specific heat-health action plans integrating needs of vulnerable populations, strengthening early warning systems and triggering timely action when risks emerge.
Disclaimer: This article provides educational information based on WHO, WMO, UNICEF, UNFPA report on priority indicators for heat health impacts and does not constitute professional medical, meteorological, or public health advice.
