Climate Disasters Endanger Maternal Health: Here’s What We Must Do

“The fires in Los Angeles, the floods in Mississippi, the hurricanes in Florida, and the tornadoes in the Midwest are all climate wake-up calls. Policymakers must prioritize the protection of communities through actionable, systemic policies. Lives depend on it,” writes Kavelle Christie.

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The widespread devastation of the Los Angeles fires is heartbreaking. It is a somber reminder of the fragility of life, the loss of cherished homes and possessions, and the profound toll these tragedies take on communities.

It is also a stark and urgent indicator of the need for immediate systemic change in our response to climate disasters and ensuring the protection of vulnerable individuals and their families. These crises, beyond their devastating impact on homes and communities, disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals and new mothers. Despite the well-documented risks these disasters pose to maternal health, the needs of pregnant individuals and new mothers are often overlooked in policy discussions about climate resilience.

This issue is not confined to California. Hurricanes last year battered Florida, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast. Tornadoes devastated Mississippi and the Midwest. Flooding ravaged the Northeast. Each of these events not only disrupts access to critical reproductive and maternal health services but also severely impacts healthcare infrastructure. Clinics close, healthcare workers are displaced, and exposure to environmental hazards exacerbates existing vulnerabilities, particularly for marginalized communities.

For underserved areas, especially black and brown communities in southern states, these disasters magnify already stark maternal health inequities. Wildfire smoke has been linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. Extreme heat exacerbates hypertension and placental complications. Hurricanes force evacuations that disrupt prenatal care, while flooding and mold exposure increase long-term health risks. Tornadoes can obliterate healthcare infrastructure entirely. Families in these regions must navigate compounding risks with few resources or systemic support.

Economic precarity further deepens these inequities. Families lose wages, homes, and access to healthcare during climate events, entrenching cycles of poverty that take years to recover from. In states like Mississippi and Louisiana, where maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the nation, environmental crises worsen already dire outcomes. 

Instead of addressing these systemic gaps, harmful policy proposals threaten to make matters worse. Project 2025, for instance, suggests tying disaster recovery aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to state compliance with federal priorities. This approach weaponizes disaster relief as a political tool, jeopardizing assistance for vulnerable communities. Such policies are dangerous and must be rejected.

Equally troubling is the ongoing push for pseudo-science in healthcare leadership. Figures like Dr. Mehmet Oz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Donald Trump’s nominees to serve as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively, during his second presidency – demonstrate how misinformation undermines public trust and endangers vulnerable populations. Now is not the time to place those who deny science or perpetuate baseless theories at the helm of our healthcare system.

Instead, Congress must pass the climate-focused provisions of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, championed by Representatives Lauren Underwood and Alma Adams alongside Senator Cory Booker. This includes the Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act, which would fund air filtration systems for high-risk families and establish monitoring systems to track climate-related maternal health disparities.

Second, state Medicaid programs must expand their coverage to include asthma management tools, cooling systems, and air filtration devices. These are not luxuries but life-saving necessities, particularly as extreme weather events become more frequent. Such measures align with the World Health Organization’s strategies for climate adaptation in vulnerable populations.

Third, state Medicaid programs must be expanded to address the realities of maternal health in the face of climate change. While most states have extended postpartum coverage to 12 months, there is still a need to broaden Medicaid benefits to include essential services such as asthma management tools, cooling systems, air filtration devices, and other preventive measures. These are not luxuries; they are life-saving necessities for families navigating the worsening impacts of climate disasters. Expanding Medicaid coverage to integrate these critical supports would provide pregnant and postpartum individuals with the resources to stay healthy during and after environmental crises.

These solutions are not exhaustive. Much more can and must be done to address the intersection of climate change and maternal health. From improving healthcare infrastructure in disaster-prone regions to addressing racial and economic disparities head-on, policymakers must think boldly and act urgently.

At the same time, we must challenge the deeply flawed notion of “resilience” that has been thrust upon individuals, particularly pregnant people and new parents. They shouldn’t be expected to summon an endless reserve of strength to endure the daily onslaught of apocalyptic crises. It is not people who should be resilient — it is our systems. Our healthcare systems, safety nets, and policies must be built to withstand the mounting pressure of climate disasters, not force people to bend until they break. The real measure of resilience is not the ability of individuals to endure; it’s the ability of our systems to protect, support, and uplift people when they need it most. We must shift the narrative because true resilience lies in building a world where no one, especially the most vulnerable, is forced to survive a crisis alone.

The fires in Los Angeles, the floods in Mississippi, the hurricanes in Florida, and the tornadoes in the Midwest are all climate wake-up calls. Policymakers must prioritize the protection of communities through actionable, systemic policies. Lives depend on it.

Featured image: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images via Grist.