Water, climate change, and maternal and newborn health

The health vulnerabilities of age and gender are confounded by poverty, food insecurity, water-related disease, and general health status. Natural hazards and extreme weather events further compromise health. This paper examines the research related to water, climate change, and maternal and newborn health published in English between January 2000 and March 2011 to what research is needed to improve our understanding of this association. We argue that the focused attention of environmental scholars is needed to better understand adaptation and mitigation strategies for these at-risk groups. We also argue for the disaggregation of health data to better examine these relationships.

► Water and climate change are important determinants of maternal and newborn health in low-income countries.
► Disaggregated data is needed to describe the impact of water and climate change on maternal and newborn health.
► Health researchers should include water and climate change in social determinants research.
► Researchers need to attend to the devastating impact of these factors on maternal and newborn health.