*Co esponding au ho : Venugopal Reddy I agam eddy
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion Liscense 4.0.
The impac o clima e change on pedia ic espi a o y heal h: A global call o ac ion
Venugopal Reddy I agam eddy *
Depa men o Pedia ics, O um Woman and Child Speciali y Hospi al, Bangalo e, India.
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 033-035
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 20 No embe 2024; e ised on 28 No embe 2024; accep ed on 31 Decembe 2024
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wjbphs.2025.21.1.1107
Abs ac
Clima e change poses an unp eceden ed h ea o global public heal h, pa icula ly o pedia ic espi a o y heal h.
Child en a e disp opo iona ely a ec ed due o hei de eloping espi a o y sys ems and inc eased exposu e o
en i onmen al pollu an s. This e iew explo es he in e play be ween ai pollu ion, ising empe a u es, and clima e-
induced e en s such as wild i es and loods, which exace ba e espi a o y illnesses in child en. I emphasizes he global
bu den o pedia ic espi a o y condi ions, including as hma and b onchi is, linked o en i onmen al changes. By
analyzing cu en e idence and highligh ing success ul mi iga ion s a egies, his a icle calls o u gen collabo a i e
ac ion among policymake s, heal hca e p o essionals, and communi ies o sa egua d he espi a o y heal h o u u e
gene a ions.
Keywo ds: Clima e change; Pedia ic espi a o y heal h; Ai pollu ion; Global heal h; As hma; Mi iga ion s a egies
1. In oduc ion
The escala ing e ec s o clima e change ha e b ough an u gen ocus on i s implica ions o public heal h. Child en, due
o hei physiological ulne abili ies and p olonged exposu e pe iods, a e a highe isk o de eloping se e e heal h
condi ions linked o en i onmen al changes. The espi a o y sys em, being he p ima y in e ace be ween he body and
he ex e nal en i onmen , is pa icula ly suscep ible o clima e- ela ed s esso s. This e iew in es iga es he
connec ions be ween clima e change and he ising p e alence o espi a o y illnesses in child en, ocusing on ai
pollu ion, hea wa es, and clima e-induced na u al disas e s.
2. Impac o Clima e Change on Pedia ic Respi a o y Heal h
2.1. Ai Pollu ion and Respi a o y Illnesses
Ai pollu ion is a signi ican con ibu o o espi a o y mo bidi y and mo ali y in child en. Clima e change exace ba es
ai pollu ion by inc easing g ound-le el ozone and pa icula e ma e (PM2.5), bo h o which a e associa ed wi h
espi a o y diseases such as as hma and b onchi is.
•E idence om Global S udies: S udies om u ban cen e s wo ldwide epo a di ec co ela ion be ween
ising ai pollu an le els and hospi al admissions o pedia ic espi a o y condi ions.
•Mechanism: Fine pa icula e ma e pene a es deep in o he lungs, causing in lamma ion, oxida i e s ess, and
impai ed lung de elopmen in child en.
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 033-035
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2.2. Rising Tempe a u es and Respi a o y Heal h
P olonged hea exposu e in ensi ies espi a o y dis ess, pa icula ly in child en wi h p e-exis ing condi ions such as
as hma.
• Hea wa es and Ozone Fo ma ion: Ele a ed empe a u es p omo e he o ma ion o g ound-le el ozone, a
po en espi a o y i i an .
• Inc eased Pollen Le els: Rising empe a u es ex end pollen seasons, leading o highe incidences o alle gic
hini is and as hma.
2.3. Clima e-Induced Na u al Disas e s
Wild i es, loods, and hu icanes, all agg a a ed by clima e change, ha e signi ican espi a o y heal h implica ions o
child en.
• Wild i es: Smoke om wild i es con ains a mix o ha m ul pollu an s, including ca bon monoxide and PM2.5,
leading o acu e espi a o y symp oms in exposed popula ions.
• Floods and Mold Exposu e: Pos - lood en i onmen s p omo e mold g ow h, which is a known igge o
espi a o y alle gies and as hma exace ba ions in child en.
3. Global Bu den o Pedia ic Respi a o y Condi ions
• As hma P e alence: App oxima ely 14% o child en globally a e es ima ed o ha e as hma, wi h
exace ba ion a es linked o ising pollu ion le els.
• Mo ali y Ra es: Respi a o y in ec ions emain a leading cause o dea h in child en unde i e, wi h clima e
change p ojec ed o wo sen his bu den.
4. Mi iga ion and Adap a ion S a egies
4.1. Policy In e en ions
• En o ce s ic e ai quali y s anda ds o educe emissions o pollu an s.
• P omo e clean ene gy ansi ions o minimize he ca bon oo p in .
4.2. Heal hca e Ini ia i es
• De elop ea ly wa ning sys ems o high pollu ion days o educe exposu e.
• Inc ease heal hca e access o ulne able popula ions o manage espi a o y condi ions e ec i ely.
4.3. Communi y-Le el Ac ions
• Enhance awa eness campaigns abou he impac o clima e change on child en’s heal h.
• P omo e e o es a ion and g een u ban planning o imp o e ai quali y.
4.4. Resea ch and Su eillance
• In es in longi udinal s udies o ack he long- e m e ec s o clima e change on pedia ic espi a o y
heal h.
• De elop inno a i e ea men s a egies ailo ed o clima e-induced espi a o y condi ions.
5. Conclusion
The ad e se e ec s o clima e change on pedia ic espi a o y heal h demand immedia e a en ion. P o ec ing child en
om he compounding e ec s o ai pollu ion, ising empe a u es, and clima e-induced disas e s equi es a
mul idisciplina y app oach. Go e nmen s, heal hca e p o ide s, and communi ies mus collabo a e o implemen
sus ainable s a egies o mi iga e hese isks. By p io i izing pedia ic heal h in clima e policies, we can ensu e a
heal hie u u e o gene a ions o come.
Wo ld Jou nal o Biology Pha macy and Heal h Sciences, 2025, 21(01), 033-035
35
Compliance wi h e hical s anda ds
Acknowledgmen s
The au ho hanks colleagues and en i onmen al esea che s o hei in aluable insigh s in o his p essing issue.
Special hanks o he eam a O um Woman and Child Special y Hospi al o hei suppo .
Disclosu e o con lic o in e es
The au ho decla es no con lic o in e es .
Re e ences
[1] Wo ld Heal h O ganiza ion. Ai pollu ion and child heal h: P esc ibing clean ai . Gene a: WHO; 2018.
[2] D’Ama o G, e al. Clima e change and espi a o y diseases. Eu opean Respi a o y Re iew. 2021;30(160):200223.
[3] Zhang Y, e al. Impac o clima e change on pollen seasons and alle gic espi a o y diseases. En i onmen al
In e na ional. 2020;144:106039.
[4] Lelie eld J, e al. E ec s o ossil uel and o al an h opogenic emission emo al on public heal h and clima e.
P oceedings o he Na ional Academy o Sciences. 2019;116(15):7192-97.
[5] Uni ed Na ions En i onmen P og amme. Ai Pollu ion: The in isible kille . Nai obi: UNEP; 2019.
Au ho ’s sho Biog aphy
D . Venugopal Reddy is a dis inguished Medical Di ec o and Pedia ician a O um woman
and Child Speciali y Hospi al in Bangalo e, India. Wi h ex ensi e expe ise in pedia ic ca e,
esea ch, and communi y heal h ini ia i es, he has au ho ed nea ly 100 a icles in Scopus and
PubMed-indexed jou nals. He is ac i ely in ol ed in imp o ing heal hca e sys ems, child
heal h awa eness, and ma e nal well-being. His wo k has ea ned him ecogni ion as one o he
op p o essionals shaping heal hca e in India.
