WHO launches heat‑risk indicators for mothers and children

On 21 October, the World Health Organization, together with the World Meteorological Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund, unveiled the first global set of 19 indicators designed to monitor how extreme heat affects pregnant women, newborns and children. The framework is aimed at giving governments a practical tool to spot health risks linked to heatwaves.

Scope of the indicators

According to the joint announcement, about 1.5 billion children worldwide now experience heatwaves that are longer, hotter and more frequent. In 2024 infants under one year saw 389 % more heatwave days than the 1986‑2005 average, and a 2024 meta‑analysis of 198 studies across 66 countries found heat exposure raises the odds of preterm birth by 26 %.

The indicators cover core health outcomes such as preterm births and outpatient visits, and also track pregnancy hypertension, late stillbirths, low birthweight and under‑five deaths in health facilities. They further advise disaggregating data by age and sex during heat events, and monitoring school attendance to gauge how heat disrupts children’s daily lives.

By linking air‑temperature records with hospital and clinic data, the framework aims to reveal spikes in adverse outcomes that coincide with heatwaves, allowing health authorities to prepare facilities for increased demand, strengthen warnings to pregnant women and identify the communities most at risk. The indicators also support the development of heat‑health action plans tailored to local conditions.

Pascale Allotey, director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, said that if health systems do not count these outcomes, they cannot respond. Acting director of WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, Bruce Gordon, added that protecting mothers, newborns and children requires embedding climate risk into everyday health services. The agencies urge countries to strengthen monitoring and to adopt the indicators as a routine tool.