Technology and Science05 October, 20263 min read
Simon Stiell Warns Extreme Heat Risks Pregnancy And Newborns In Fiji Ahead Of Pre-COP31
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Extreme heat is a 'new fault line' threatening maternal and newborn health. A Wellcome survey shows two-thirds of clinicians report heat-related pregnancy complications.
Heat threatens pregnancy
UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell warned in Fiji that extreme heat is making pregnancy a “new fault line in the global climate crisis” as he called for maternal and newborn health to be built into countries’ climate plans. Stiell told delegates that “Rising temperatures mean rising danger in pregnancy,” and he linked extreme heat during pregnancy to premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal complications. Wellcome chair Julia Gillard said, “No woman should have to fear that extreme heat will harm the baby she is carrying,” as a Wellcome-commissioned survey reported that nearly all respondents had cared for a pregnant woman or baby whose health they believed had been affected by extreme temperatures.
The survey of 1,000 maternal healthcare professionals found that 73% reported an increase in heat-related cases or complications affecting pregnant women over the past five years, and 76% reported an increase affecting foetal or newborn health. The survey also reported that 92% of respondents wanted more training and resources to protect pregnant women during episodes of extreme heat, as the findings were released ahead of the pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji.
Survey findings and quotes
Wellcome chair Julia Gillard argued that “Extreme heat is an invisible killer, but pregnant women must not be invisible,” as the survey commissioned by Wellcome was conducted in India, Australia, Brazil, the UK and Zimbabwe. The UNFCCC’s Simon Stiell said “Behind those numbers are human stories,” describing an expectant mother’s journey to clinic delayed by dangerous heat and a newborn needing specialist care. The survey results also showed that 81% of respondents were concerned or very concerned that extreme heat would increasingly put maternal, foetal and newborn health at risk without more action.
The International Confederation of Midwives’ chief executive Anna af Ugglas said midwives tire more easily when working in high heat, which can lead them to make errors, and she added that “too many climate and emergency plans are still developed without them”. Wellcome urged governments to include pregnant women, new mothers and babies in national climate and health plans, and it called on the World Health Organization to develop clinical guidance on heat, pregnancy and the postpartum period.
What comes next
UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell set out three priorities in Fiji, including making pregnancy and newborn care part of adaptation, heat and health planning, and turning evidence into protection through guidance, training, heat alerts and safer facilities. Stiell warned that “What is not named in a plan is too often not funded, not measured and not protected,” as he argued that harm that is not counted is too easily ignored. The UNFCCC chief also urged nations to work with the whole financial system to make $1.3 trillion a year for developing countries a reality, and he called for the tripling of adaptation finance agreed at COP30 in Belém to be delivered.
Wellcome backed a study in Zimbabwe and South Africa to test simple interventions such as handheld fans, reflective paint on health-facility roofs and community-led climate information systems. The pre-COP talks in Fiji and Tuvalu were framed as a chance to draw attention to life on the front lines of climate change ahead of COP31 in Turkey, where the COP presidency is held by Türkiye and Australia is in charge of the negotiations.