The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a global research prioritisation and action plan aimed at strengthening evidence on the impact of climate change on health, migration and displacement.
The initiative, led by WHO’s Health and Migration Department in collaboration with its Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality Programme, was unveiled during a global event that brought together more than 300 participants from over 75 countries.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, WHO said the initiative seeks to address one of the world’s most pressing yet under-researched public health challenges by generating evidence to guide policies and interventions for migrant and displaced populations.
The organisation noted that although the links between climate change, migration and health are increasingly recognised, major gaps remain in understanding how climate-related mobility affects people’s health, well-being and access to healthcare.
According to WHO, climate change is becoming an increasingly significant driver of migration and displacement, particularly among vulnerable communities with limited capacity to adapt, while also increasing health risks throughout the migration process.
Head of WHO Health and Migration, Santino Severoni, said closing research gaps was essential to achieving universal health coverage and promoting health equity.
“Closing research gaps is a matter of equity. To achieve universal health coverage, strengthen climate resilience and advance health equity, migrant and displaced populations must not be an afterthought; they must be part of the solution from the beginning.”
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WHO said the Global Research Prioritisation Exercise (GRPE), the first thematic initiative under its Global Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement, was designed to provide robust, policy-relevant evidence for more inclusive and equitable health systems.
The exercise involved a comprehensive review of existing research, stakeholder consultations and an international survey involving 59 experts from academia, government and development organisations across multiple regions.
The organisation identified priority research areas covering the social determinants of health, universal health coverage, emergency preparedness, health outcomes, migration-sensitive data systems, and policy interventions.
It said the initiative also produced a global action roadmap to guide future research, policymaking and practical interventions.
Among the key priorities are reducing social inequalities, expanding access to healthcare for migrants and displaced people, strengthening resilience to climate-related emergencies, improving migration-sensitive data collection, and generating evidence on mental health, maternal and child health, chronic diseases and the long-term health impacts of climate-related displacement.
Head of WHO Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, said strengthening the global evidence base was critical to protecting vulnerable populations.
“Climate change is already affecting the health and mobility of populations around the world. Strengthening the evidence base is essential to inform effective policies and ensure that those most affected are protected through climate-resilient and equitable health systems.”
Participants at the launch called for stronger collaboration between the climate, health and migration sectors, greater investment in migration-sensitive data systems, community-centred research and closer links between scientific evidence, policymaking and implementation.
WHO said it would work with Member States and partners to translate the research priorities into practical action by integrating the roadmap into regional and national health strategies, strengthening partnerships and supporting evidence-based decision-making.
The organisation said the initiative would help build more resilient, climate-responsive and migrant-inclusive health systems while advancing health equity for displaced and migrant populations worldwide.
