Published: 18th Nov, 2019
Climate change poses an unprecedented health risk to children and is already having “persistent and pervasive” effects that will last throughout their lives, a major new study has warned.
Context
Climate change poses an unprecedented health risk to children and is already having “persistent and pervasive” effects that will last throughout their lives, a major new study has warned.
About/Outcomes of the report
- The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change’ is a comprehensive yearly analysis tracking progress across 41 key indicators.
- Without drastic reductions in emissions, escalating temperature increases will burden the next generation with high levels of malnutrition, weaker immune systems and higher risk of premature death.
- As temperatures rise, study predicts a reduction in yields of staple crops such as maize, rice and soybean, which will cause prices to rise and leave infants vulnerable to malnutrition, resulting in stunted growth and long-term developmental problems.
- Small children are particularly vulnerable to rises in infectious diseases caused by increasing temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.
- Warmer temperatures caused an increase in the spread of a bacteria that causes diarrhoeal diseases and wound infections.
- Over the past 30 years the number of climatically suitable days for Vibrio bacteria (which causes diarrhoea) to thrive have doubled.
- Dengue is also on the spread.
- The damage done in early childhood is persistent and pervasive, with health consequences lasting for a lifetime.
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The Lancet
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