(Bloomberg) -- Almost 500 million children will experience double the number of extremely hot days than their grandparents’ generation, the United Nations said, with harmful consequences for their health.
Extremely hot days with temperatures exceeding 35C degrees (95F degrees) are increasing for nearly one-in-five children globally, many of whom lack access to infrastructure or services that would help them to cope, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children’s health, well-being and daily routines,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
More than half of the children in 100 countries are seeing twice as many heat waves today compared with six decades ago, it said. In the US, 36 million children are exposed to double the number of heat waves compared with 60 years ago.
Children in West and Central Africa face the highest exposure to extremely hot days and the most significant increase over time, according to UNICEF.
Over one third of children across the region spend more than four months a year in temperatures above 35C degrees, with as many as 212 such extremely hot days in Mali, 198 days in Senegal and 195 days in Sudan.
The number of days with extreme temperatures adds to the impact of climate-related hazards on children’s’ health, including food and water security, disrupting access to education and pushing people to move.
Hotter temperatures have also been linked to threats to children’s’ health such as child malnutrition and leaving them more vulnerable to diseases that spread in higher temperatures such as malaria and dengue.
“Children’s bodies are far more vulnerable to extreme heat. Young bodies heat up faster, and cool down more slowly,” Russell said. “Governments must act to get rising temperatures under control, and there is a unique opportunity to do that right now as governments are currently drafting their national climate action plans.”
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