Effects of climate change on children’s health

Pediatricians across the globe have teamed up with the Kenya Pediatrics Association to discuss issues relating to the effects of climate change and environmental pollution on children’s health and wellbeing.

The 4 days’ conference themed ‘Understanding the impact on Pediatric Practice to secure our Children’s Future’ brought together about 500 stakeholders.

Since the 1800s, human rights activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels which produce heat-trapping gases causing adverse long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns.

Addressing the media during the Annual Scientific Conference, the National Chairperson, Kenya Pediatric Association, Lawrence Owino, said the recent outbreaks of cholera, measles and rotavirus were due to the effects of climate change and pollution.

Other climate change impacts affecting children are family displacement due to harsh weather conditions which decreases their food security, leading to malnutrition.

Indoor pollutants, indoor smoking, poor hygiene, use of firewood and charcoal indoors were also mentioned to be factors affecting most children’s health.

“We are looking forward to a time where we will be able to use more efficient and reliable forms of fuel in our households to reduce the environmental pollution,” Owino said.

Owino said that the Association supports advocacy to improve regulations so that children do not suffer adversely from these effects and that they also advocate for planning to mitigate the effects.

He added that the Association is also conducting sensitization and encouraging immunization of children.

“We are advocating for the government to make sure that we are able to provide vaccines to all children where and when they need it,” he said.

He also urged the government to continue delivering on the pledge of clean energy to make cooking gas affordable to reduce the over reliance use of firewood and charcoal and more use of solar power because these are more environmentally friendly resources.

“Development and policy implementation is the main focus of the pediatrics and our members are actively engaged in providing services for children who may have missed out because of the effects of climate change,” he noted.

He concluded that the association is forming partnerships with different organizations like UNICEF to save the children fund and discuss to come up with programmes that will help mitigate these issues.

A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Head Office in Geneva Switzerland Bernadette Daelmans who is also the Unit head, Child Health and Development said looking at a larger per cent of children’s health, it is vivid that the climate change is going to cause major disruptions unless action is taken now.

“The commitment we have witnessed in this conference is encouraging, the professionals are working on what they can do in their capacity to start changing in their practice, how they interact with their patients and educating them about climate change,” Daelmans said.

Health specialist from UNICEF, Kenya Country Office, Laura Oyengo called upon the government to enact policies that are child sensitive but environmentally friendly.

“We are looking forward to businesses having practices that ensure the natural environment is a sustainable society while reducing its carbon footprint,” Oyengo said.

“We are also looking forward to working with the government and other partners in support of this agenda” she concluded.