LONDON / ANTALYA — Midwives and global health advocates have issued an urgent warning that the compounding effects of a powerful El Niño climate cycle and extreme weather are dramatically increasing the risk of death in childbirth for millions of women in vulnerable crisis zones.
Speaking concurrently with the UN’s COP31 climate summit, healthcare workers emphasized that climate-driven disruptions—ranging from severe heatwaves and prolonged droughts to catastrophic flooding—are making pregnancy and newborn care increasingly perilous.
A Dangerous Convergence of Crises
Midwives on the front lines report that extreme weather events directly cut off access to emergency obstetric care. In regions facing severe flooding, such as parts of Bangladesh, rising waters wash out roads and strand maternity teams, turning routine deliveries into life-threatening emergencies.
Meanwhile, in areas suffering from extreme heatwaves—such as southern Malawi—failing harvests and skyrocketing living costs prevent farming families from affording transport to clinics, leaving vital antenatal care out of reach.
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The Hidden Toll of Extreme Heat: Health experts note that extreme heat is an “invisible disaster” that significantly raises the risk of premature birth, birth defects, high blood pressure, and dangerous hyperthermia in newborns.
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Infrastructure Breakdown: Flooded clinics, damaged water supply systems, and power outages severely impair the ability of local health facilities to safely deliver neonatal care.
Urgent Calls for Action at COP31
As government delegations convene for COP31 in Turkey, health campaigners are pressing world leaders to integrate maternal and newborn care directly into global climate adaptation, heat-prevention planning, and loss-and-damage funding frameworks.
Midwives argue that without robust international support, upgraded climate-resilient facilities, and localized heat-action warnings, the climate crisis will continue to widen deeply entrenched health inequalities for mothers and infants in the Global South.