Climate change to hurt health of children born in India for life: Lancet

Indian children, who are already exposed to bad air and are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and infectious diseases, will experience greater impacts of climate change.

At current emission rates, a child born today will face lifelong health impacts of climate change, according to a new report. By the time he or she turns 71, the world will be 4 degrees-Celsius (deg-C) warmer than the pre-industrial levels of the mid-1700s.

Indian children, who are already exposed to bad air and are particularly susceptible to malnutrition and infectious diseases, will experience greater impacts of climate change, as we explain later.

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Here are some of the ways in which climate change will impact the lives of children from infancy to old age, as per the 2019 The Lancet Countdown report published in The Lancet, a medical journal:

Shrinking average yields of rice and maize will inflate the price of these crops, increasing the malnutrition burden, which is already higher among Indian children

Changing weather will increase the prevalence of infectious diarrhoeal and mosquito-borne diseases to which children are particularly susceptible

Air pollution will worsen, increasing the number of deaths attributable to fine particulates

Incidence of severe floods, prolonged droughts and wildfires will increase with rising temperature, putting lives at risk

The Lancet Countdown, which launched its first edition in 2016, is a comprehensive yearly analysis that tracks progress across 41 key indicators, demonstrating the health impacts of climate change.

“Children are particularly vulnerable to the health risks of a changing climate,” said Nick Watts, executive director, The Lancet Countdown, in a statement. “Their bodies and immune systems are still developing, leaving them more susceptible to disease and environmental pollutants. The damage done in early childhood is persistent and pervasive, with health consequences lasting for a lifetime.”

About 600 million Indians are at risk from the fallout of a rise in global mean temperature, IndiaSpend reported on October 8, 2018.

For the world to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and protect the health of the next generation, the energy landscape will have to change drastically and soon, the report said. Countries have to try and limit global warming to 2 deg-C by ramping up efforts to decrease carbon emissions through nationally determined goals under the agreement.