Prioritising Children’s Health Amidst the Climate Crisis

The climate crisis is a critical child rights issue, with children disproportionately affected despite contributing the least to the problem. Research shows that children today will face significantly more extreme weather events than previous generations, highlighting the urgent need for climate action to protect their health and well-being.

Climate change severely impacts children’s health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), increasing risks of diseases, malnutrition, and mental health issues while threatening access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. Vulnerable groups, including impoverished, displaced, and children with disabilities, face the greatest challenges.

International frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and climate agreements acknowledge these links, yet translating commitments into national action remains challenging. Funding for climate and health solutions is inadequate, leaving millions of children vulnerable during climate-related disasters.

Please also find below a shorter executive summary and call to action, as well as the graphic “Prioritising children’s health amidst the climate crisis”, summarising children and communities’ exposure to the climate crisis, its effects on their health, and the responses key stakeholders can take. All resources are available in French, Spanish, Arabic, and soon in Portuguese.

This policy brief calls for urgent, multisectoral action, including:

• Governments prioritizing climate-resilient, child-sensitive services and closing the adaptation funding gap.
• Global health organizations, multilateral banks, and private sectors scaling up climate-sensitive financing and support for climate-resilient and low-carbon health systems.
• All stakeholders to ensure meaningful participation of children and communities in climate-health decision-making processes.

A bold response is essential to safeguard the health and future of 2.4 billion children globally. While this brief focuses on adaptation and resilience, it underscores the importance of mitigation to reduce long-term risks and protect future generations.