Sharon IKECHUKWU
Pregnancy and childbirth are facing increasing risks as extreme heat linked to climate change continues to worsen, the United Nations has warned.
United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, raised the concern on Monday at the Birthright event in Suva, Fiji.
Stiell said rising temperatures were increasingly linked to pregnancy complications, premature birth, stillbirth and low birth weight.
“The picture is clear and very disturbing, as extreme heat worsens, pregnancy and birth are now a new fault line in the global climate crisis, and one which is potentially fatal,” he said.
The warning came after a survey commissioned by Wellcome among maternal health professionals in five countries across five continents.
According to the survey, 73 per cent of healthcare professionals reported that heat-related cases or complications had increased over the past five years.
The findings have raised concerns over the growing impact of extreme heat on maternals and newborn health.
