Prioritizing Children's Health in Climate Policies: A Call for Global Standardization

Experts urge the global adoption of 17 standardized indicators to integrate children's health into climate adaptation policies. These measures aim to ensure children's specific health needs are met within climate strategies, aligning with global goals like the Paris Agreement and the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Researchers are calling for urgent actions to prioritize children's health within climate change adaptation policies. A team including members from Weill Cornell Medical College and WHO has proposed 17 indicators that could globally benchmark child health metrics.

Published in The Lancet Planetary Health, these indicators cover critical areas such as childhood mortality, nutrition, and vaccination rates. They form part of the UAE-Belém Work Programme's efforts to create climate adaptation metrics in time for COP30, where signatories to the Paris Agreement will review progress.

Lead author Ilan Cerna-Turoff emphasizes the unique health needs of children and advocates for these standard measurements to support broader targets, including the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Standardized data collection could facilitate understanding of how climate change impacts child health globally.

(With inputs from agencies.)