Topic Collection

Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of the Climate Crisis on Child Health

The impact of climate change on children’s physical and mental well-being is the most important rights issue confronting children worldwide. This Topic Collection seeks to bridge research gaps and enhance understanding of how child health professionals and communities can effectively respond to the climate crisis, recognizing the urgency and responsibility of their role in safeguarding children amid environmental challenges. Submissions Open | Submission Deadline: 8th October 2024

Guest Editors

Jeffrey Goldhagen University of Florida Jacksonville, Florida, United States

orcid.org/0000-0001-7661-1551 Chalilwe Chungu Catholic Relief Services Lusaka, Zambia

orcid.org/0000-0001-6076-5011

Karen Zwi University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, NSW, Australia

orcid.org/0000-0002-5561-5200 Esther Tobarra Sanchez Cwm Taf Mirgannwg University Health Board, NHS Wales Abercynon, Wales

orcid.org/0000-0003-2367-633X

We invite submissions for a Topic Collection of BMJ Paediatrics Open on Child Health and the Climate Crisis. The impact of climate change on children is the most important existential child rights issue confronting children worldwide. It affects children’ physical and mental health and wellbeing, both directly and indirectly—with the greatest impacts on children in the Global South and in disadvantaged communities. The Climate Crisis will continue to increase the number and intensity of storms, droughts, flooding, heat and fires—resulting in forced migration, food shortages, family disintegration, disruption of education and health services, decreasing biodiversity and a host of other indirect effects on child survival and development. No profession will bear witness to the impact of climate change on children more than child health professionals. As such no profession has a greater responsibility to respond. We are launching a Topic Collection to address research gaps and to further understanding of how child health professionals and communities can best respond to the climate crisis. We welcome original papers, research letters, editorials, and review articles from a range of disciplines on any aspect of child health and wellbeing in relation to the Climate Crisis. This includes but is not limited to quantitative, qualitative and mixed method:

Original research on the direct and indirect effects of fires, drought, flooding, storms, and heat on child physical and mental health, and how to prevent and mitigate them.
Original research on the direct and indirect effects of the climate crisis on social systems and child wellbeing, and how to prevent and mitigate them.
Research and reports of action taken by young people, NGOs, business-industry and governments to combat the climate crisis.
Opinion pieces on the effects of the climate crisis on children, and the intersection with Planetary and One Health.

Please see the instructions for authors for submission requirements for each article type. To submit your article, please follow these instructions and select ‘Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of the Climate Crisis on Child Health’ as the Topic Collection. Please visit our author hub for more information about the benefits of submitting to a Topic Collection. All submitted articles will be subject to the journal's normal peer review process. The Editor in Chief is responsible for the content of this Topic Collection. Guest Editors will manage peer review, invite reviewers and make a recommendation, but the final decision on all manuscripts will be made by the Editor-in-Chief. Articles accepted for publication will be published upon acceptance. Visit our author hub for more information regarding the publication process for topic collections. Authors submitting to this Topic Collection are entitled to a 25% discount on the Article Processing Charge. Discount is available upon request to info.bmjpo@bmj.com. A number of institutions have an open access agreement with BMJ where the full cost of publishing can be covered; please view the list of institutions to which this applies. BMJ also offers full waivers for authors based in low income countries; please see further information on our waivers and discounts policy. For any inquiries regarding this topic collection, please contact topic.collections@bmj.com. Keywords: climate emergency; climate change; paediatrics; child health; infants; pregnancy; air pollution; respiratory disease; mental health; extreme weather.