New York- 14 August 2024- One in 5 children or 466 million live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared to just six decades ago, according to a new UNICEF analysis.

Using a comparison between the 1960s and a 2020-2024 average, the analysis issues a stark warning about the speed and scale at which extremely hot days – measured as more than 35 degrees Celsius / 95 degrees Fahrenheit – are increasing for almost half a billion children worldwide, many without the infrastructure or services to endure it.

“The hottest summer days now seem normal,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children’s health, well-being and daily routines.”

The analysis also examines country-level data and finds that in 16 countries, children now experience more than a month of additional extremely hot days compared to six decades ago. In South Sudan, for example, children are living through a yearly average of 165 extremely hot days this decade compared to 110 days in the 1960s, while in Paraguay it has jumped to 71 days from 36.

Globally, children in West and Central Africa face the highest exposure to extremely hot days and the most significant increases over time, according to the analysis. 123 million children – or 39 per cent of children in the region – now experience an average of more than one-third of the year – or at least 95 days – in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, reaching as many as 212 days in Mali, 202 days in Niger, 198 days in Senegal, and 195 days in Sudan. In Latin America and the Caribbean, almost 48 million children live in areas that are experiencing twice the number of extremely hot days.

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Heat stress within the body, caused by exposure to extreme heat, poses unique threats to the health and well-being of children and pregnant women, particularly if cooling interventions are not available. Researchers have linked it to pregnancy complications such as gestational chronic diseases and adverse birth outcomes, including stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm birth. Excess levels of heat stress also contribute to child malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases such as heat-related illnesses, and leave children more vulnerable to infectious diseases that spread in high temperatures such as malaria and dengue. Evidence shows that it also impacts neurodevelopment, mental health, and well-being.

Extreme heat also has more concerning effects when experienced in longer periods. While extreme heat is increasing in every country worldwide, the analysis shows that children are also exposed to more severe, longer, and frequent heatwaves. Across 100 countries, more than half of children are experiencing twice as many heatwaves today as 60 years ago.

Climate-related hazards multiply their impact on child health by affecting food and water security, causing contamination, damaging infrastructure, disrupting services for children, including education, and driving displacement. Underlying vulnerabilities and inequities based on socioeconomic status, gender, location, existing health status, and country context determine the severity of these impacts on children.