The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have introduced a new framework to help countries monitor the health effects of extreme heat on pregnant women, newborns and children.
Announced on 21 October, the framework sets out priority indicators that governments and health authorities can use to identify health risks associated with rising temperatures and improve their responses to extreme heat.
The initiative comes amid growing evidence of the effects of heat exposure on maternal and child health. According to WHO, exposure to extreme heat has been associated with a 26 per cent increase in the odds of preterm birth. Babies under one year of age experienced 389 per cent more heatwave days in 2024 than during the 1986 to 2005 baseline period. An estimated 1.5 billion children worldwide are exposed to heatwaves that are becoming more frequent, longer or more severe.
The framework recommends monitoring outcomes including preterm births, stillbirths, low birthweight, hypertension during pregnancy, child deaths and visits to health facilities during periods of extreme heat. School attendance is also identified as a useful indicator of how high temperatures affect children’s daily lives and access to education.
WHO says combining routine health records with temperature and other heat exposure data could help authorities identify unusual changes in health outcomes during heatwaves. This information could support earlier investigations, help health facilities prepare for increased demand and enable officials to identify communities facing greater risks.
Bruce Gordon, acting director of WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, said pregnant women, newborns and children were among the groups least able to escape the health risks associated with rising temperatures. He stressed the importance of incorporating climate-related risks into routine health services and emergency preparedness.
Dr Pascale Allotey, director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, said monitoring health outcomes alongside heat exposure could help countries identify potential impacts and take steps to protect vulnerable populations.
The four agencies are calling on governments to develop heat-health action plans suited to their national and local circumstances. They also recommend strengthening early warning systems and ensuring that responses address the specific needs of pregnant women, newborns and children.
The framework provides countries with a common set of indicators to improve surveillance, identify emerging health concerns and guide public health interventions as extreme heat becomes an increasingly significant challenge.
