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News: The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2019 has warned that children will suffer from a rise in infectious diseases, malnutrition and air pollution if global warming continues on the current trajectory.
Facts:
About The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change:
- It is a comprehensive yearly analysis that tracks progress across 41 key indicators, demonstrating the health impacts of climate change. It was first published in 2016.
- The project is a collaboration between 120 experts from 35 institutions, including the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.
Key takeaways from the Report
- With high carbon emissions and climate change continuing at the current rate, a child born today will face a world on average over 4˚C warmer by their 71st birthday, threatening their health at every stage of their lives.
- Shrinking average yields of rice and maize will inflate the price of these crops, increasing the malnutrition burden.
- Changing weather will increase the prevalence of infectious diarrhoeal and mosquito-borne diseases to which children are particularly susceptible
- Air pollution will worsen, increasing the number of deaths attributable to fine particulates
- Incidence of severe floods, prolonged droughts and wildfires will increase with rising temperature, and children will be most vulnerable
