The intersection of climate change and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) was at the heart of the fourth dialogue in PMNCH's Ready, Set, Implement Dialogue Series, held on February 27, 2025. This virtual gathering brought together over 300 global health and climate leaders, decision-makers, and advocates. The dialogue focused on the severe and often overlooked impacts of climate change on pregnant women, newborns, children, and adolescents, urging greater action to build climate-resilient societies.

Rajat Khosla, Executive Director of PMNCH, opened the session by emphasizing the urgent threat of climate change, which continues to escalate due to record-setting global greenhouse gas emissions. The effects of this rapid environmental change—rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the shifting patterns of infectious diseases—are particularly devastating for vulnerable populations, including mothers and children. Khosla stressed that while progress on MNCH has stalled or, in some places, reversed, the health sector has yet to fully confront the challenges posed by climate change.

The dialogue featured powerful keynote speeches, including one by Francisco Vera, a youth climate activist, who highlighted climate change as not only an environmental crisis but also a human rights issue. He stressed the necessity of protecting children and adolescents' right to a clean and sustainable environment, framing it as an obligation for states rather than an optional commitment. According to Vera, investing in the health and well-being of the younger population is a moral imperative.

The dialogue underscored the importance of integrating climate-sensitive approaches into maternal and child health policies. Honorable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, Minister of Health in Malawi, called for multisectoral action, emphasizing that tackling climate impacts on health requires collaboration across sectors. This includes strengthening early warning systems, developing climate-resilient social protection services, and training the health workforce to better respond to climate-induced challenges.

Dr. Bruce Aylward from the WHO further reinforced the need for accelerated action, referencing the 77th World Health Assembly's resolution, which acknowledges the serious barriers climate change presents to the health and well-being of mothers, newborns, and children. This resolution encourages governments to prioritize maternal and child health in the face of climate-induced disruptions like extreme weather, pollution, and lack of clean water and sanitation.

Emerging evidence shared by leading health and climate experts pointed to the escalating impacts of climate change on MNCH. Dr. Maria Neira from the WHO, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan from the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, and Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta from the Aga Khan University outlined the direct health effects of extreme weather events—droughts, floods, cyclones, and heatwaves—as well as air pollution. These events have contributed to rising malnutrition rates, increased incidences of preterm births, stillbirths, and pregnancy complications, and worsened child health outcomes such as low birth weight and delayed immunization rates. Moreover, climate change exacerbates social determinants of health, leading to higher rates of child marriage, intimate partner violence, and school closures.

Despite these challenges, the dialogue also emphasized actionable solutions. Experts, including Alan Dangour from the Wellcome Trust and Marionka Pohl from Save the Children, proposed specific strategies to address these impacts. They called for the creation of gender-responsive heat action plans, the development of innovative cooling solutions, and the implementation of early warning systems to better protect vulnerable populations from extreme climate events. Additionally, they highlighted the need to bridge the funding gap for climate and health initiatives by engaging with climate funders, the private sector, and international organizations.

A key component of the discussion was the importance of engaging women, children, and adolescents in the process of identifying and implementing solutions. Meaningful participation from affected communities is essential for ensuring that policies and interventions are effective and equitable. Furthermore, the panelists advocated for more robust data collection, particularly from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), to better understand the specific vulnerabilities of these populations and to develop targeted, cost-effective interventions.

The dialogue concluded with a resounding call to integrate climate change considerations into all health policies, especially those addressing maternal, newborn, and child health. As the effects of climate change intensify, it is critical for policymakers to recognize the urgent need for climate adaptation in the health sector to ensure the well-being of future generations. The event reinforced the message that a coordinated, multisectoral approach is key to building climate-resilient societies and protecting the health of mothers, children, and adolescents in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

The dialogue highlighted the pressing need for global action to address the impacts of climate change on maternal, newborn, and child health. As the world continues to grapple with climate change, integrating health, climate, and social policies will be essential to creating a more resilient future for the most vulnerable populations.