Extreme heat putting pregnant women, newborns at risk: UN climate chief

Nadi, Fiji - As the world gathers for the pre-COP summit, United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell is set to issue a stark warning about the dangers extreme heat poses to pregnant women and their newborns. Drawing from a recent survey, Stiell will highlight that over two thirds of health professionals across five continents have observed complications linked to intense heat during pregnancy in the past five years.

Stiell will emphasize that rising temperatures are directly connected to a range of pregnancy-related issues, including premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight, and maternal complications. He will paint a clear and disturbing picture, stating that as extreme heat intensifies due to climate change, pregnancy and childbirth are becoming a new faultline in the global climate crisis, potentially leading to fatal outcomes.

Stiell will stress that this faultline cannot be allowed to deepen the chasm of climate-driven suffering, inequality, and injustice. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events, causing heat records to be broken more frequently. Alarmingly, the impact of climate change is being felt across at least 33 countries, stretching from Western Europe to the Sahel region.