UNICEF

Climate and Health Expert

Swathi Manchikanti (she/her) is a climate and health expert experienced in informing policy and programme implementation in low-and-middle income countries. Currently she supports UNICEF in working with governments globally to identify and address the most pressing climate and environmental hazards, such as extreme heat, affecting child health and wellbeing globally. She has over a decade of experience in working on climate-informed water, sanitation and health programmes and has directly supported implementing interventions improving community resilience in the Middle East, southern Africa, and South Asia. Over the course of her work, she has passionately advocated for greater investment in climate adaptation, particularly for the most vulnerable communities facing the largest risks. Recently, she has been the lead author of UNICEF’s technical notes on protecting children from heat stress and wildfire smoke. These documents function as syntheses of the latest evidence on associated child-specific health outcomes and global recommendations for caregivers, health providers, and policy makers seeking to provide children a safe and healthy environment.

• Languages: English, Hindi, Telugu