Published on: 2026-10-07
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 5, 2026 Climate and Environment
Seventy-three percent of healthcare workers in the field of maternal care report an increase in pregnancy complications related to heat over the past five years.
This is evidenced by new survey data among specialists from five countries on five continents, presented today by the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell.
Extreme heat caused by climate change is increasingly leading to premature births, stillbirths, and babies being born with low birth weight.
“Rising temperatures mean increased risks during pregnancy,” Steel said, speaking at an event organized by the global charity Wellcome in Fiji. The event took place on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP-31).
According to Wellcome Foundation data, more than 81 percent of respondents are concerned that abnormal heat will continue to threaten the health of mothers and infants. At the same time, nearly 100 percent of surveyed medical professionals have already provided assistance to patients affected by extreme temperatures.
The head of the UN RR Commission emphasized that behind the dry statistics are real human stories: delays in getting women to clinics due to heat, difficult working conditions for midwives, and a lack of specialized care for newborns.
Those at particular risk are those who work outdoors, live in housing not adapted to heat, live far from hospitals, or visit medical facilities that lack electricity or cooling.
How to protect mothers and children
Simon Steele called for large-scale financial support for developing countries and small island states. He reminded of the need to increase funding for adaptation measures, agreed upon at COP-30 in Belém (1.3 trillion dollars annually).
The head of the UN RCRC identified three priorities for protecting mothers and newborns. The first of these is the mandatory inclusion of pregnancy and infant care issues in national plans for climate adaptation and heat protection.
“What is not included in plans is often not funded, not measured, and not protected,” he said.
Simon Steele named the need to move to concrete actions based on scientific data as the second priority. This involves implementing clear guidelines, training personnel, introducing heat alert systems, and preparing medical infrastructure before crisis situations arise.
The third step should be regular data collection and analysis. Without gathering accurate information on growing risks and the effectiveness of measures taken, it will be difficult to solve the problem.
The head of the UN Committee on the Status of Women noted that international cooperation, including in the implementation of the Action Plan for Gender Equality adopted at CSW-30 in Belém, will help direct funding and technology in the right direction.
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