UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 : One in five children or 466 million live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared with their grandparents generation, according to a UNICEF analysis released Wednesday.
\n\u201cExtreme heat is increasing, disrupting children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health, well-being and daily routines,\u201d said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.<\/p>\n
The study compared averages in the 1960s with the period 2020-2024, measuring the days which exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
\nIt presents a stark warning over the speed and scale at which such days are increasing for almost half a billion children worldwide \u2013 many without the infrastructure or services to endure it.<\/p>\n
In examining country-level data, the analysis also found that in 16 countries, children now experience more than a month of additional extremely hot days compared with six decades ago.
\nIn South Sudan, for example, children are living through a yearly average of 165 extremely hot days this decade, compared to 110 days in the 1960s, while in Paraguay it has jumped to 71 days from 36.<\/p>\n
Globally, children in West and Central Africa face the highest exposure to extremely hot days and the most significant increases over time, according to the analysis. 123 million children or 39 percent of children in the region now experience an average of more than one third of the year or at least 95 days in temperatures above 35\u00c2\u00b0C, reaching as many as 212 days in Mali, 202 days in Niger, 198 days in Senegal, and 195 days in Sudan.
\nIn Latin America and the Caribbean, almost 48 million children live in areas that are experiencing twice the number of extremely hot days.
\nHeat stress within the body, caused by exposure to extreme heat, poses unique threats to the health of children.<\/p>\n
Excess levels of heat stress contribute to child malnutrition, non-communicable diseases such as heat-related illnesses, and leave children more vulnerable to infectious diseases that spread in high temperatures, such as malaria and dengue.
\nEvidence also shows that neuro-development, mental health, and overall well-being are being impacted.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren 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, so rising temperatures are even more alarming for children,\u201d Ms. Russell said.<\/p>\n
The impact of climate-related hazards on child health is exacerbated by how such hazards affect food and water security, damage infrastructure, disrupt services for children, and drive displacement.<\/p>\n
Pregnant women are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. Heat stress has been linked to pregnancy complications such as gestational chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes including stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm birth.
\nIn the coming months, all countries committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change will submit new national climate plans which will set the course of climate action for a decade. They are a time bound opportunity to set out concrete plans to realize the goals of the Paris agreement.<\/p>\n
The UNICEF is calling on leaders, governments and the private sector to seize this opportunity to deliver urgent and bold climate action which upholds the right of every child to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs governments are currently drafting their national climate action plans, they can do so with the ambition and knowledge that today\u2019s children and future generations will have to live in the world they leave behind,\u201d Ms. Russell added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 14 : One in five children or 466 million live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared with their grandparents generation, according to a UNICEF analysis released Wednesday. \u201cExtreme heat is increasing, disrupting […]<\/p>\n
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