KARACHI(The COW News Digital) Pakistani midwife and climate advocate Neha Mankani has been named among the TIME100 Climate List 2025, a recognition that celebrates global leaders driving innovative climate action and resilience in their communities.
According to TIME Magazine, Mankani’s inclusion highlights her groundbreaking work through the Mama Baby Fund, an organization she founded to deliver maternal and newborn healthcare to marginalized coastal communities in Karachi, including the remote Baba Island.
Her initiative has established solar-powered maternity clinics, ensuring uninterrupted care for mothers and infants even during power outages and extreme weather events — challenges that have become increasingly frequent due to Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change.
In 2024 alone, the Mama Baby Fund facilitated more than 4,000 antenatal consultations and treated over 200 newborns in neonatal care units. These clinics not only provide essential medical services but also serve as community hubs for awareness and resilience-building in areas frequently hit by floods and heatwaves.
Speaking to TIME, Neha Mankani emphasized that communities most affected by climate change are often the least represented in global discussions:
“Women are among the most impacted by the climate crisis, yet they are also the most innovative in finding solutions. Unfortunately, they remain excluded from decision-making spaces where their voices are needed the most,” she said.
Experts describe Mankani’s work as a transformative model that bridges public health and climate justice. Rather than treating them as separate issues, the Mama Baby Fund integrates both by offering sustainable healthcare through renewable energy solutions.
The organization has also introduced boat ambulance services, allowing emergency medical access to fishermen communities living along the city’s waterways. Moreover, its initiatives aim to strengthen resilient healthcare systems that can withstand the pressures of rising sea levels and unpredictable weather conditions.
Neha Mankani’s recognition in the TIME100 Climate List 2025 is being celebrated as a moment of pride for Pakistan, symbolizing how grassroots innovation can drive global climate progress. Her work underscores that empowering women and investing in sustainable health systems are key to tackling the dual crises of climate and inequality.
