Phl ranks 9th in Asia with pregnancy heat-risk

The Philippines ranked ninth in Asia in terms of pregnancy risk caused by extreme heat as a result of climate change over the last five years, a new study revealed.

- — Bella Cariaso, Christine Boton

According to nonprofit news organization Climate Central, climate change is fuelling a sharp rise in extreme heat risk for pregnant people worldwide.

The study added that human-caused climate change has doubled the number of days that are dangerously hot for pregnant people in 90 percent of countries and territories around the world, threatening maternal health and birth outcomes.

According to the nonprofit, this is the first analysis directly quantifying how climate change is increasing dangerously hot days for pregnant people.

Climate Central analyzed daily temperatures over the past five years, from 2020 to 2024, across 247 countries and territories and 940 cities to measure the rise in pregnancy heat-risk days, which are extremely hot days associated with higher risks of preterm birth and maternal health complications.

In the Philippines, 30 of the 36 pregnancy heat-risk days observed (83 percent) were due to climate change.