Blitz Bureau
A new study has highlighted the escalating risks climate change and biodiversity loss poses to children’s health. The review paper, published inNature, demonstrates how biodiversity loss accelerates the health impacts of a warming planet, with wide-ranging implications for paediatric health. Biodiversity has declined dramatically, with monitored wildlife populations decreasing by 69 per cent globally since 1970, the paper stated. This loss has profound effects on climate dynamics, which, in turn, disproportionately affect children. The review identified multiple pathways through which biodiversity loss impacts children’s health, including the reduction of microbial diversity, diminished green spaces and increased vulnerability to heatwaves, flooding, vector-borne diseases and air pollution.
Access to green spaces has been strongly associated with improved mental health and cognitive development in children. A systematic review of 296 studies found that nature contact benefits attention, mood and mental health, particularly in children with conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and anxiety.
Biodiversity is crucial for medical innovation, with many modern medicines derived from natural sources, the paper stated. For instance, quinine, a treatment for malaria, originates from the South American cinchona tree. Biodiversity loss threatens the availability of such resources, complicating efforts to combat diseases like malaria, which caused 597,000 deaths globally in 2023 — 76 per cent of which were among children under five in Africa.
The review underscored that biodiversity loss and climate change are not just environmental issues but also a child rights crisis. In August 2023, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child reaffirmed children’s right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, urging immediate action to protect their future. Heatwaves and flooding, intensified by climate change, pose significant risks to children. According to UNICEF, 820 million children are highly exposed to heatwaves, which increase the likelihood of heat stroke, dehydration and learning difficulties.
