The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday urged governments around the world to “act now” to get rising global temperatures under control as they pose significant threats to the health and well-being of children.
In its new report, “A Threat to Progress”, the United Nations’ body highlighted that children are more at risk as “days with temperatures higher than 95°F” become “increasingly common”.
“Almost half a billion children live in areas experiencing at least double the number of extremely hot days as their grandparents — many without the infrastructure or services to endure it,” the report said.
“Children are not little adults,” warned UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Young bodies heat up faster, and cool down more slowly. Extreme heat is especially risky for babies, due to their faster heart rate, so rising temperatures are even more alarming for children.”
According to the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2021, high temperatures led to approximately 442,000 deaths, including 45,000 children among whom 31,000 were under the age of five.
Additionally, UNICEF highlighted that excess levels of heat stress contribute to child malnutrition and heat-related non-communicable diseases (like malaria and dengue).
It may also threaten food and water security, damage infrastructure, and disrupt services for children.
The analysis also showed that while extreme heat is increasing worldwide, children are exposed to more severe, longer and frequent heat waves which may impact their brain development and hamper learning.
