Climate change is a major global health threat. Women and children are disproportionately affected by climate change, facing heightened risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, stillbirth, respiratory illness and malnutrition1. Taking effective climate action provides an opportunity to drive transformative solutions that deliver co-benefits for the climate ecosystem and for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (WCAH). Yet little attention is given to the specific needs and vulnerabilities of women, children and adolescents in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Evidence shows that extreme heat increases risks of preterm birth, stillbirth and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy1. Climate-adaptation measures and climate resilience must be embedded into service delivery, particularly into maternal and neonatal care. Adaptation interventions such as early-warning systems (for example, mobile phone alerts for heat waves, access to cooling shelters, hydration campaigns and climate-resilient health facilities) can substantially reduce heat-related morbidity and mortality in pregnancy1.
The promotion of cooling techniques in primary healthcare clinics and maternal health facilities in Africa, such as painted white (or ‘cool’) roofs, also has co-benefits, as this reduces the solar radiation absorbed by buildings, reduces indoor temperature and makes facilities safer and more comfortable for women and children2.
Community-based and gender-responsive adaptation policies are critical: national adaptation plans should explicitly incorporate reproductive, maternal and child health needs, as called for in the Belém Health Action Plan at the United Nations Conference of Party (COP30)3. It is promising that for the first time, at COP30, the host government, Brazil, took the lead in developing an action plan for health and requested other countries’ endorsement for it. Now the challenge will be to implement and finance the plan.
Technology also provides innovative solutions for climate adaptation that will benefit WCAH. For instance, the pilot health-heat early-warning system in Senegal issues regular bulletins with heatwave forecasts and practical health advice communicated through channels such as community radio and targeted mobile outreach. This proactive alert system allows vulnerable groups, such as women and children, to benefit from preventative measures — including hydration and seeking shade.
The 2025 Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change report underscores that effective climate action is crucial for upholding the health and rights of women, children and adolescents, who are disproportionately vulnerable to climate impacts4. To reduce the heavy toll of malaria on children and pregnant women, adapting to changing malaria patterns is essential, including digital surveillance systems and community early-warning tools.
To reduce household reliance on harmful solid biomass and dirty fuel combustion, a concerted shift toward clean energy solutions is needed, addressing the severe indoor air pollution that exposes women and children to respiratory harm, as well as risks of violence and injury during fuel sourcing. To overcome barriers to adopting new technologies, providing women with loans can incentivize switching to cleaner cookstoves, which also fosters female entrepreneurship. This approach has been successful in increasing technology adoption, reducing black carbon emissions and improving community health5.
Meaningful adolescent and youth engagement and 'child-in-all' policies are crucial to ensuring a sustainable future. Climate governance should compel ambitious mitigation and adaptation goals to uphold fundamental human and child rights.
Integrated actions, including sustainable food systems, clean energy transitions and climate-resilient urban design, could translate into 12 million fewer premature deaths (before 70 years of age)6 by 2050.
A just transition to renewable energy is among the most effective mitigation measures for WCAH. Household and ambient air pollution cause 36% of preterm births and 8.3 million premature deaths each year1,7. Clean energy and electrification programs not only reduce exposure to harmful pollutants but also improve safety and economic opportunities for women and girls.
Transforming food systems offers enormous potential benefits. Shifting toward healthy, sustainable diets — high in plant-based foods and low in animal products — could prevent up to ten to eleven million diet-related deaths annually by 2040 while cutting methane emissions and promoting child nutrition8. Climate-smart agriculture and equitable food distribution enhance resilience to drought and reduce undernutrition among women and children.
Innovative financing is key to leveraging co-benefits for climate and WCAH9. Climate financing (micro-levies, carbon taxes and emissions trading) can be strategically allocated and inter-sectoral co-financing can be coordinated to enhance WCAH outcomes. Allocations from multilateral funds such as the Green Climate Fund and the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage could support clean energy for health facilities, sustainable food systems and urban cooling infrastructure that directly benefit WCAH. Although the Green Climate Fund’s Sectoral guide for Health and well-being identifies high-impact investments, success requires health and other ministries to coordinate efforts for funding applications.
Social protection remains an indispensable adaptation tool. Safety nets, cash transfers and climate insurance help shield households from economic shocks and health costs linked to climate stressors. Evidence from African countries shows that climate change has a “positive and significant impact” on the level of out-of-pocket health expenditure and that a 1% increase in CO₂ emissions is associated with a 0.42% increase in such spending1. Social protection schemes, such as the Kenyan Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project, can mitigate against such impacts by providing conditional cash transfers to vulnerable children after droughts and by requiring health visits and school attendance following climate shocks, and is reported to have decreased child labor by 4% for paid work and by 10% for unpaid work.
Global and regional frameworks now acknowledge the intersection of climate and WCAH. It is time to translate commitments into measurable outcomes. However, implementation will falter without strong accountability mechanisms, meaningful community participation and the active inclusion of youth and women. To achieve equitable outcomes, nationally determined contributions to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change should mainstream adaptation schemes for WCAH, including attention to sexual and reproductive health and rights. In parallel, there is a need for further research and data on solutions and climate mitigation and adaptation approaches that are sensitive to WCAH.
Through climate action, WCAH and equity can be advanced. The solutions are known, and they can save millions of lives while reducing emissions. All countries must not only endorse the Belém Health Action Plan to accelerate climate-health policy integration immediately and protect vulnerable populations but also drive implementation — anchored in existing global commitments and supported by innovative financing — to protect women, children and adolescents today while building the foundations for a healthier, more sustainable future.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
