How Is Extreme Heat Affecting Children Worldwide?

News Desk

Islamabad: One in five children approximately 466 million live in areas experiencing at least twice the number of extremely hot days each year compared to their grandparents’ generation, according to a UNICEF analysis released on Wednesday.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell stated, “Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children’s health, well-being, and daily routines.”

The study compared average temperatures from the 1960s with those from 2020-2024, focusing on days exceeding 35°C (95°F). The findings highlight a dramatic increase in the frequency of such days, affecting nearly half a billion children globally many of whom lack the infrastructure or services to cope with extreme heat.

The analysis revealed that in 16 countries, children now endure over a month more of extremely hot days compared to six decades ago. For instance, in South Sudan, the average number of extremely hot days per year has risen from 110 in the 1960s to 165 this decade. In Paraguay, it has increased from 36 to 71 days.

Globally, children in West and Central Africa face the highest exposure and most significant increases in extremely hot days. Approximately 123 million children or 39% of children in the region experience more than one-third of the year, or at least 95 days, in temperatures above 35°C. In Mali, this figure reaches up to 212 days; in Niger, 202 days; in Senegal, 198 days; and in Sudan, 195 days.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 48 million children live in areas experiencing twice the number of extremely hot days.

Heat stress poses unique threats to children’s health. It contributes to child malnutrition, heat-related illnesses, and increases vulnerability to infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue. Extreme heat also impacts neurodevelopment, mental health, and overall well-being.

“Children are not little adults. Their bodies are far more vulnerable to extreme heat. Young bodies heat up faster and cool down more slowly. Extreme heat is especially risky for babies due to their faster heart rate,” Russell noted.

The impact of climate-related hazards on child health is compounded by effects on food and water security, infrastructure damage, disruption of services, and displacement. Pregnant women are also particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, which is linked to pregnancy complications such as gestational chronic diseases, stillbirths, low birth weight, and preterm births.

In the coming months, countries committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change will submit new national climate plans, setting the course for climate action over the next decade. UNICEF is urging leaders, governments, and the private sector to seize this opportunity for urgent and bold climate action to ensure every child’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

“As governments draft their national climate action plans, they must do so with the understanding that today’s children and future generations will inherit the world they leave behind,” Ms. Russell added.