Authors : Anil Kumar, Ankita Sharma, Katiyar Iva, Sen Aniruddha
DOI : 10.1007/978-3-031-40858-8_586-1
Volume : 2025
Issue : 2025
Year : 2025
Page No : 1-8
Climate change poses unprecedented threats to child health, with environmental shifts expanding the range of climate-sensitive infectious diseases. This entry examines how rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns increase transmission of vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, disproportionately affecting children due to their developing immune systems and higher vulnerability. Beyond acute illness, climate-exacerbated infections create significant disability risks through neurological complications from congenital Zika syndrome, cerebral malaria, and viral encephalitis, resulting in developmental delays and cognitive impairments. Sensory deficits from infections like cytomegalovirus and rubella represent additional long-term consequences often overlooked in climate health discussions. This entry explores essential adaptive strategies including enhanced surveillance systems integrating climate data, climate-resilient vaccination programs, and community-based health education. Policy recommendations emphasize multi-sectoral approaches aligning climate action with child health protection through disability-inclusive planning and global collaboration. This entry underscores urgent needs for proactive interventions safeguarding children’s health rights. The intersection of climate change, infectious diseases, and childhood disability demands coordinated responses prioritizing vulnerable populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where social determinants amplify climate health risks.