Climate-sensitive maternal and child health outcomes: A scoping review and policy implications for Kiribati

Background

Kiribati is situated in the central Pacific Ocean with a population of over 119,000 people. It is facing numerous health and other challenges from climate change, with adverse impacts on priority populations including women and children. Limited capacity and data gaps create challenges for responsive approaches to protect the health of priority populations. This scoping review surveys the peer-reviewed literature on several climate-sensitive maternal and child health outcomes, and considers this evidence in the context of Kiribati’s current climate and health policy landscape.

Methods

A search of PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus was conducted in August 2024 to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2000 and 2024 examining climate-sensitive child and maternal health outcomes in the Pacific and developing countries. The search returned 463 results. Following abstract and full text screening, 34 articles were included in the review. Kiribati’s climate- and health-related policies were also identified and examined.

Results

Most (91 %) eligible articles have been published since 2010. Diarrheal disease and malnutrition are the commonest outcomes studied, with temperature and rainfall being key climatic factors affecting disease prevalence. Both outcomes are highly relevant for Kiribati. The limited evidence on climate-related maternal and adverse pregnancy outcomes also suggests temperature and rainfall are influential climatic factors.

Conclusion

There is increasing evidence across developing contexts that climate change adversely impacts maternal and child health outcomes. An opportunity exists to proactively identify and implement targeted interventions for women and children to reduce the prevalence of climate-sensitive maternal and child health outcomes.