Among the many consequences of climate change, its impact on child health remains poorly understood and too often overlooked. Across Africa, droughts, floods and heatwaves are disrupting daily life: damaging crops, interrupting schooling, and increasing risks of malnutrition, depression, early pregnancy and violence.
By 2050, Africa will be home to one billion children, yet few policies directly address the impact of climate change on children and adolescents.
The new partnership between Oxford Global Health and the Oxford Martin School brings together UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the World Meteorological Organization and Oxford researchers to understand how environmental shocks are reshaping children’s lives and futures.
The programme is led by Prof. Lucie Cluver OBE, Professor of Child and Family Social Work.
Together, they are generating evidence on how climate shocks affect children, identifying practical ways to strengthen resilience, and informing disaster planning and early warning systems.
Interdisciplinarity is at the heart of the programme. Climate scientists, psychiatrists, social policy experts and data specialists are collaborating with humanitarian practitioners to connect climate forecasts with child health outcomes and translate findings into real-world strategies.
Insights from the programme will help governments and agencies design child-focused responses to climate shocks, support frontline workers, and demonstrate how investing in resilience delivers long-term benefits for health, education and development.
Find out more about the Oxford Martin Programme on Climate and Child Health.