Extreme heat threatens pregnancy, birth safety — UN official

United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has warned that extreme heat is emerging as a potentially fatal threat to pregnant women, newborns, and maternal healthcare systems due to intensifying climate change. Speaking at the Birthright event in Suva, Fiji, Stiell highlighted that rising temperatures are increasingly linked to pregnancy complications, premature birth, stillbirth, and low birth weight.

He emphasized that pregnancy and childbirth are becoming a new fault line in the global climate crisis, potentially fatal as extreme heat worsens. A survey conducted by Wellcome of maternal health professionals across five countries on five continents revealed that 73% of healthcare professionals reported an increase in heat-linked cases or complications over the past five years, with 81% expressing concern over the growing risk to maternal, fetal, and newborn health without greater action.

Stiell stressed the need to integrate maternal and newborn health into climate adaptation and heat-health planning, calling for economic diplomacy and Nigeria's renewed international voice to address the issue.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.