Extreme Heat Across East Asia, the Pacific Puts Millions of Children at Risk, UN Warns
- Children more vulnerable to heart and respiratory conditions
- Asian authorities have warned citizens of fatal heatstrokes
A student uses a bag to protect herself from the sun during a hot day in Manila on April 2.
Photographer: Jam Sta Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
More than 243 million children across East Asia and the Pacific are at risk of heat-related illnesses and death, as the region braces for a summer with record heat in the coming months, according to a United Nations agency.
Warnings over more intense and frequent heat waves this summer are especially worrying in the region, as high humidity levels make it more difficult for the body to cool down naturally. As children are less able to regulate their body temperature than adults, they are vulnerable to heat-related illnesses such as chronic respiratory conditions, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, according to United Nations Children’s Fund.