Extreme Heat Turns Pregnancy into Climate‑Driven Health Crisis

Rising ambient temperatures are increasingly endangering pregnant women, with research linking heat exposure to premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal complications. A new survey of maternal‑health professionals in five countries across five continents, commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, found that 73 % of respondents observed more heat‑related cases in the past five years. Moreover, 81 % expressed strong concern that extreme heat will further jeopardise maternal, fetal and newborn health without decisive action. Nearly all participants reported having treated at least one pregnant woman or newborn whose condition they attributed to heat stress. These observations span diverse climatic zones and socioeconomic contexts.

Those health impacts are not distributed evenly. Workers who spend long hours outdoors, families living in informal or unregulated housing, and communities far from equipped clinics face the greatest danger because they lack access to cooling or reliable electricity. In many small island states, which contributed minimally to global emissions, the combination of limited infrastructure and rising temperatures creates a “no cool place to go” scenario for expectant mothers. Without adequate shelter and limited cooling resources, advice to “stay cool” offers little protection, widening existing inequities in safe childbirth and newborn survival and overall.

UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell urged that the adaptation finance agreed at COP30 be tripled, and that the international community work toward mobilising about $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries. Priorities include developing clear guidance, heat‑alert systems and training for health workers, upgrading facilities to provide reliable cooling, and strengthening data collection to track rising risks and evaluate interventions. Stiell warned that without explicit funding, the health of pregnant people and newborns will remain invisible in climate plans, to protect future generations. He also praised the COP31 presidency of Türkiye and Australia’s negotiating lead for elevating health in the agenda, building on Brazil’s previous work.