Half of children in Europe and Central Asia will be exposed to high frequency of heat waves, all will be by 2050

About half of the 184 million children in Europe and Central Asia are exposed to high frequency heat waves, a new UNICEF policy says. That is double the global average of 1 in 4 children exposed to high frequency heat waves. By 2050, all European children will be at risk from high frequency heat waves. Infants and young children suffer the most during heat waves because their core temperatures rise significantly higher and faster than adults. Heat waves not only affect children’s health, but also their ability to concentrate and learn, putting their education at risk. Because adults experience heat waves differently, parents and caregivers may overlook the signs of heat-related illness in children, putting children’s health at further risk, according to Beat the heat: protecting children from heatwaves in Europe and Central Asia , a new UNICEF briefing based on an analysis of 2020 data from 50 countries.

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