Climate Change Threatens Children’s Health: Diarrhoea Risk Set to Rise in South & Southeast Asia
New Delhi | July 31, 2025 — A new large-scale study warns that climate change could significantly increase the risk of diarrhoea among children under five across South and Southeast Asia, including India, endangering the health of millions, especially in low-income communities.
Analyzing data from over 3 million children across eight countries—including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, and Timor-Leste—researchers found that extreme temperature variability and reduced rainfall during the wettest months were major climatic factors elevating the disease risk.
Climate Drivers of Rising Diarrhoea Risk
According to the study published in Environmental Research and led by Dr. Syeda Hira Fatima from Flinders University, temperature swings and drought were linked to significantly higher odds of diarrhea:
- A wider annual temperature range of 30°C to 40°C correlated with a 39% increase in diarrhoea risk.
- Reduced rainfall (below 600 mm during the wettest month) was associated with a 29% rise in risk.
Such climate patterns create favorable conditions for contamination of water supplies and spread of pathogens—compounding risks in overcrowded and under-resourced regions.
Regional Snapshot: India & Neighbors
In India, the prevalence of diarrhoea among under-five children was estimated at 8.02%, based on nearly 480,000 surveyed children.
By comparison:
- Bangladesh reported a lower rate of 4.85%,
- Nepal around 10.2%,
- Myanmar approximately 12%, and
- Pakistan topped the list with nearly 17.6%.
These figures underscore how climate vulnerability intertwines with local sanitation, water access, and socioeconomic conditions.
Maternal Education & Household Size Matter Too
Beyond weather, the research identified key socioeconomic risk factors:
- Maternal education of less than eight years increased diarrhoea risk by approximately 18%, due to limited awareness of hygiene, childcare, and early illness recognition.
- Larger households (more than six members) increased risk by around 9%, likely due to overcrowding and strain on sanitation infrastructure.
Lead researcher Dr. Hira Fatima observed:
“Education empowers mothers to act early when their children fall ill. Investing in maternal education is one of the most scalable climate-adaptation strategies.”
Safe Water & Sanitation Offer Protection
Co‑author Professor Corey Bradshaw emphasized the power of WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) interventions:
- Access to clean drinking water could reduce diarrhoea risk by 52%, and
- Improved sanitation by approximately 24%.
He stressed that poverty, combined with climate stress, creates environments where pathogens thrive and healthcare access remains limited.
Implications and Urgency for Asia
Diarrhoea remains one of the leading causes of death for children under five in developing nations. The new research highlights how climate change will amplify this burden, particularly in densely populated, high-risk regions.
Key takeaways:
- Climate variability is a potent driver of child health risk.
- Interventions must go beyond medical responses—addressing education, water access, sanitation, and poverty.
- Policymakers should treat climate-health strategies as central to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: health; SDG 6: clean water and sanitation).
What Needs to Be Done Next
| Area | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| Health Policy | Develop climate-resilient child health strategies |
| Education | Invest in maternal education for improved childcare and hygiene |
| Sanitation | Expand access to safe water and improved sanitation infrastructure |
| Climate Planning | Integrate public health into climate adaptation frameworks |
The study authors warn that, without intervention, climate-induced droughts, extreme heat, and rainfall variability will increasingly put children at risk in the coming decades.
Why This Study Matters
- It is among the first large-scale studies to link climate, social, and maternal factors to child diarrhoea risk across multiple Asian countries.
- Findings directly inform public health policy in regions most vulnerable to climate variability.
- Highlights the broader role of education and infrastructure in climate adaptation—over and above direct medical interventions.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
This study is a stark reminder: climate change is not only an environmental crisis—it is a profound public health threat. Millions of young children in India and Southeast Asia may face rising risks of diarrhoeal illness unless action is taken now.
Educating mothers, scaling up clean water and sanitation, and integrating climate resilience into health policy can break the cycle—and save lives.
Let this serve as a call to policymakers, NGOs, and communities: Invest in climate-smart child health, or pay the price in lives lost.
