Philippines Among Asia’s Worst for Heat-Related Pregnancy Risks

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

The Philippines has been ranked the ninth worst in Asia for climate-driven pregnancy heat exposure, with extreme temperatures linked to maternal complications and preterm births, according to a new report by Climate Central.

From 2020 to 2024, the country recorded an average of 36 pregnancy heat-risk days annually — days when maximum temperatures exceeded 95% of historic local records — with 30 of those days directly attributed to human-caused climate change.

Zamboanga City was identified as the fourth most affected major city in Asia, experiencing an average of 42 such high-risk days annually, 41 of which were caused by climate change — a staggering 98% of the total.

“Extreme heat is now one of the most pressing threats to pregnant people worldwide, pushing more pregnancies into high-risk territory, especially in places already struggling with limited healthcare access,” said Dr. Bruce Bekkar, a women’s health physician and expert on climate-linked health risks.

Globally, climate change has at least doubled the number of pregnancy heat-risk days in 90% of countries and territories and 63% of cities, compared to a world without fossil fuel emissions.

“Even a single day of extreme heat can raise the risk of serious pregnancy complications,” said Dr. Kristina Dahl, Vice President for Science at Climate Central. “Climate change is stacking the odds against healthy pregnancies, especially in vulnerable regions.”

Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, was among the regions hit hardest, with heat risk rising fastest in developing countries that contribute the least to global emissions but face the greatest maternal healthcare challenges.

The study used Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index (CSI) to isolate the role of climate change in extreme heat events, comparing observed temperatures with simulated scenarios in a world without global warming.

Pregnancy heat-risk days have been linked to preterm birth, hypertension, gestational diabetes, and stillbirth. The World Health Organization notes that preterm birth is the leading cause of death in children under five.

Health experts emphasize that rising heat impacts can be especially dangerous in low-resource settings, where healthcare infrastructure is often insufficient to handle surges in pregnancy-related complications.

“This analysis is a stark reminder that the climate crisis is also a public health crisis,” the report concluded. “Without rapid emissions cuts, climate-driven extreme heat will continue to worsen, with severe impacts on pregnant people and infants around the world.”

The Philippines’ heat-related pregnancy risks are not just a statistic — they are a growing burden on families and health systems. With much of the country still lacking adequate cooling and prenatal care access, the implications are wide-reaching.

Globally, about one-third of countries saw an extra month’s worth of high-risk pregnancy heat days annually due to climate change.

In Southeast Asia, more than 85% of countries saw these days double or more in just five years, underscoring the urgency of coordinated global and national responses.

The economic toll from climate-linked birth complications is harder to quantify, but the long-term strain on health budgets, productivity, and household income is significant.

Based on government health data, the average cost of preterm delivery in the Philippines can range from PHP 70,000 to PHP 300,000, with higher costs in urban hospitals.

For a country with over 1.6 million live births each year, even a modest increase in preterm births could add billions of pesos to healthcare spending and lost income.