Faced with heat waves, the world is suffocating. The year 2023 was the hottest ever recorded in the world and 2024 could break a new record, with significant consequences for the health of the most vulnerable organisms, especially those of the smallest. “This heat is dangerous for anyone, but especially for young children,” Lily Caprani, head of advocacy for UNICEF, explains to AFP.
The UN agency estimates that “one in five children now experience twice as many days of extreme heat as their grandparents did 50 or 60 years ago,” as it indicates. in a report published this WednesdayA trend that is “worsening”, with the consequence of increasing risks to children’s health.
Difficulty regulating body temperature
During periods of high heat, the body maintains body temperature at around 37°C through thermal regulation mechanisms. Blood vessels increase in diameter to cool the blood, breathing accelerates and, above all, the body begins to sweat to eliminate heat.
“Young children’s bodies are not just little adults. They are much more vulnerable to extreme heat, their hearts are beating faster, they’re breathing faster,” Caprani says. They sweat less and have a harder time regulating their internal thermometer. “That can literally be deadly,” she warns. In infants, in particular, water loss can be very rapid and can lead to severe dehydration or heat stroke.
The impact on cognitive abilities
Heat stress also impairs cognitive abilities, increasing aggression, and affects “children’s ability to concentrate and learn”, UNICEF already pointed out in 2023. “These extreme temperatures can have an impact on children’s neurodevelopment and mental health”, confirms Lily Caprani, who also mentions greater vulnerability to diseases such as malaria.
Rising temperatures combined with increased rainfall also promote the proliferation of mosquitoes, including those infected with a virus or parasite, which can transmit it to humans, particularly children who are often outdoors.
Train staff
To limit the impact of extreme heat on children’s health, UNICEF is calling for greater awareness among parents of the signs of heatstroke, training for health personnel to provide emergency care to the youngest children, and investment in air conditioning systems for schools.
The UN agency insists above all on the need to put measures in place to slow global warming, while temperatures increasingly exceed 40°C in several countries around the world.
