Safeguarding China's Future: Why Children Need Tailored Environmental Protection

Children in China today face a complex paradox. On the one hand, decades of rapid socioeconomic development have led to remarkable progress in child health, largely eliminating many hygiene-related diseases. On the other hand, this very development has ushered in new and insidious environmental threats, putting over 250 million Chinese children at risk. Air pollution, hazardous chemicals, and climate change now pose significant dangers to children’s health and well-being, contributing to the rise of non-communicable diseases such as asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders, and early puberty.