Our Impact

How Heat Exposure Threatens Maternal And Neonatal Health

Nature Medicine (2024), 05 Nov | Lakhoo, Brink, Radebe et a

With year-on-year record breaking global temperatures, the health risks for vulnerable populations—especially pregnant women and newborns—are increasingly concerning. Our recent study, "Systematic review and meta-analysis of heat exposure impacts on maternal, fetal, and neonatal health," published in Nature Medicine provides a comprehensive synthesis of the published literature to date, quantifying the risks and specific periods of susceptibility associated with heat exposure during pregnancy. When doing meta-analysis, we found that for every 1°C increase in heat exposure, there was a 4% increase in preterm birth risk across all the studies. During a heatwave, the risk of preterm birth increased by 26%. Similarly, we found marked increases in other adverse outcomes such as increased risk for gestational diabetes, stillbirths, congenital anomalies and obstetric complications with increasing exposure to heat. The study underscores the need for urgent public health interventions to prevent and treat the adverse effects of heat exposure on maternal and neonatal health.

Climate and Health Africa Conference 2024

October 29-31, 2024 | Harare, Zimbabwe

Wits Planetary Health Research proudly participated in the inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC2024), uniting over 400 delegates from 30 African countries—including Ministers of Health, researchers, and funders—to address climate and health on the continent. The conference concluded with the launch of the Harare Declaration on Climate and Health in Africa, a vital framework guiding the continent's climate and health priorities.

The HE²AT Center's First Public Webinar

November 13, 2024 | Virtual

The HE²AT expert panel shared the latest achievements and discussed future directions in African climate-health research. The session explored the center’s core focus areas, addressing key challenges, advancements, and collaborative efforts driving the field forward.

A Glimpse Into Our Climate Future

In 2035, a young boy named George is one of the few survivors of a deadly heatwave in a small African village. Despite having tools to protect people, George’s community faced bureaucratic delays and limited action. Only George’s home had its roof painted white to reflect the heat—a small measure meant to save lives, but one that came too late for his neighbors. George’s question, heartbreaking in its simplicity, lingers: "Why didn’t we do more?" This story, shared at CHAC 2024 by Professor Matthew Chersich in a poignant keynote address, forces us to reflect on public health’s role in climate action.