Impact of Climate Change on Child Health

Dear Colleagues,

Recent research suggests that climate change is a major threat to the health and wellbeing of children worldwide, now and in the future. Overwhelmingly, the health burden caused by climate change will be borne by children, who may have less capacity to adapt or to avoid these new challenges to health. Current national and international emission reduction commitments are inadequate. Even if they are honoured, the global temperature rise by the end of this century is predicted to be double the internationally agreed ‘safe’ target of 2 degrees Celsius. We must better understand the full range of the increased risks to the health and wellbeing of children in order to prepare for, or alter, the expected impact.

Climate change will have wide-ranging effects on the environment and our interaction with it. There may be some benefits to health, for example very cold climates becoming warmer. But the breadth and magnitude of adverse effects are expected to result in a net negative impact on health and well-being for individuals and populations. Increased weather-related disasters, extreme climatic conditions and sea-level rise are likely to cause large-scale population migration and changes in disease patterns. Children will be at particular increased risk for multiple health outcomes including mental health disorders, malnutrition, and infectious and allergic diseases. Developing countries in tropical areas are likely to suffer most due to poverty, lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation, inadequate health care systems and high density populations. Reducing CO₂ emissions has become a major global objective, but many additional challenges remain including the development of better outcome measures to assess child health impacts.

This special issue in Children will act as a forum to expand our understanding of the specific mechanisms that lead to increased health and disability risk for children, how risk might be better estimated and measured across time and geography, and how cost-effective strategies might be applied at local levels to enhance adaptation, or to mitigate effects of, region-specific impacts.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Prof. Helen Leonard
Dr Emma Glasson
Dr Alison Anderson
Prof. Robyn Lucas
Dr. Brad Farrant
Guest Editors

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