Extreme heat makes pregnancy a ‘new fault line’ in the climate crisis

Speaking in Fiji at an event hosted by global charity Wellcome, ahead of the conference COP31 climate conference in Antalya, UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell said a the ultimate test of climate action is “much, much simpler” than degrees, targets and funding: “are we protecting life at its most vulnerable”.

“Increased temperature means increased danger of pregnancy,” he said on the first day pre-COP ministerial meeting, noting that extreme heat during pregnancy is increasingly associated with premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, and maternal complications.

Health officials raised the alarm

Mr Stiell cited new data, released on Monday, from a survey conducted by Wellcome of maternal health professionals in five countries on five continents.

A number of 73 percent reported that heat-related cases or complications had increased over the past five yearswhile 81 percent are concerned or very concerned that extreme heat will further harm the health of mothers, fetuses and newborns if no further action is taken.

Almost all respondents had cared for pregnant women or babies whose health they thought had been affected by extreme heat.

“Behind the numbers are human stories: a pregnant woman’s trip to the clinic delayed by dangerous heat; a midwife working in unsafe temperatures; a newborn who needed specialist care,” Stiell said.

‘No cool places to go’

While no one is immune, he emphasized that the risks and impacts are not shared. People who work outdoors, live in unregulated housing, travel long distances to clinics or rely on facilities without water, electricity or cooling “cannot be protected by advice alone”.

“‘Keep it cool’ is not an option when there are no cool places to go,” he said.

“Safe delivery is often determined by geography, income, and access to health services. Without action, extreme heat will widen these inequities.”

For small islands and other countries that “did nothing to create this climate crisis,” Stiell said, the findings underscore the need for support on a large scale.

He called for the tripling of adaptation funding agreed at COP30 in Belém to be implemented and for countries to work together across the financial system to generate $1.3 trillion per year for developing countries.

Three priorities

Mr Stiell set three priorities:

• Making pregnancy and newborn care part of the adaptationheat and health planning;
• Turning evidence into protection through guidance, training, heat warnings and safer facilities;
• Improve data to show where risks are increasing and which interventions are working;

“What’s not mentioned in a plan is often unfunded, unmeasured and unprotected,” he said. “Unaccounted for losses are too easily overlooked.”

He praised the COP31 Presidency in Turkey and the Australian Negotiating Presidency for making health a top priority, building on Brazil’s efforts last year.

“Climate change should not be considered the reason why pregnancy and birth are becoming less safe,” he said.

“A newborn’s early health should not depend on the family’s ability to escape the heat.”