HERA Materna combines insurance, cash support, and early action to safeguard marginalized, pregnant women during the hottest, most dangerous months of the year.
London, June 23, 2026 — Today, HERA and its partners launched HERA Materna, the world’s first ever heat-pregnancy insurance program. Extreme heat is threatening pregnant women on the frontlines of the climate crisis, and until now no financial protection has existed to shield them.
HERA Materna expands HERA’s parametric heat insurance model, which pays out as heat crosses a preset threshold, with no requirement of time-consuming loss assessments and documents to delay help. HERA layers that insurance with philanthropy-funded cash support that reaches women earlier, before temperature and humidity climb high enough to trigger an insurance payout, alongside risk-reducing measures that reduce health and financial harm. The approach has already reached hundreds of thousands of informal women workers across India, Thailand, and Sierra Leone.
The evidence is stark. A large global Journal for American Medical Association (JAMA) 2023 study determined that exposure to extreme heat during pregnancy was associated with a 27% increase in severe maternal morbidity and a 28% increase in stillbirth. Pregnant women working in extreme heat conditions face more than double the risk of miscarriage, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and maternal complications. There is not currently a financial protection mechanism designed specifically for pregnant women facing extreme heat.
What makes Materna new is its focus on pregnancy. Payouts trigger at lower temperatures than traditional heat coverage, by design, so support reaches women before severe harm occurs. Bigger and earlier payments can help women reduce exposure, access cooling, seek medical care, or temporarily ease their workload during dangerous heat. HERA Materna will likely include types of insurance like “Hospicash” to support the increased cost of health care.
The program also delivers targeted early warning systems, solar-powered fans and other cooling solutions, and maternal health education to help women and their communities prepare for and respond to extreme heat.
HERA Materna will launch in heat season 2027 with HERA’s partner Mahila Housing Trust and its members across Gujarat and Delhi. Women receiving prenatal care in local clinics may enroll and verify confidentially through those clinics. After this first phase, HERA plans to extend the program to partners in Southeast Asia and in West and East Africa.
Pregnancy forces the body to work harder to stay cool. When extreme heat overwhelms that effort, the risks climb: dehydration, cardiovascular strain, inflammation, and reduced blood flow to the placenta. Research around the world links heat exposure during pregnancy to miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, preterm birth, and maternal hospitalization. The danger does not end at birth. Newborns regulate temperature poorly, raising risks tied to hydration, feeding, sleep, illness, and survival.
By strengthening the adaptive capacity of pregnant women through one of life’s most vulnerable periods, HERA Materna aims to protect the health of mothers and babies while building resilience in communities facing ever-greater heat.
“For millions of pregnant women, avoiding dangerous heat is not a choice they can afford,” said Kathy Baughman McLeod, CEO of HERA. “Materna puts real protection in women’s hands before extreme heat harms their health, income, and babies.”
“This initiative is a critical opportunity to collaborate with governments about the unique and urgent health risks pregnant women face, particularly in extreme heat,” said Bijal Brambhatt, executive director of Mahila Housing Trust. “Many of the members we serve are already highly vulnerable, working in the informal sector with limited access to healthcare or adequate cooling. This effort goes beyond identifying the problem—it is about delivering life-saving solutions for women at a critical stage. MHT is proud to partner with HERA to bring this innovative insurance program to help protect our pregnant members from the worst of extreme heat.”
“In my work as a midwife in Pakistan, in a space where temperatures go up to 45 degrees Celsius; I see firsthand how extreme heat increases adverse events related to pregnancy and neonatal health. For families with limited access to healthcare, these sudden medical emergencies are financial shocks they simply aren’t prepared for. Beyond healthcare, there is a constant, basic need for everyday cooling—an expense that is nearly impossible to budget for, especially for women working within the informal economy,” said Neha Mankani, public health practitioner, midwife, and founder of the Mama Baby Fund.
About HERA
HERA is a women-led climate adaptation NGO protecting the health, income, and dignity of women on the frontlines of extreme heat. Over a billion women globally face extreme heat at work in jobs such as garment and factory work, street vending, domestic work, and agricultural labor. HERA partners with local organizations, bringing expertise, capacity, and resources to co-design and deliver practical, scalable solutions for a hotter world. Strength in a hotter world.
Media contacts:
Daniel Ruge, daniel@heranow.org
Kelechukwu Iruoma, kelechukwu@heranow.org