The WHO launched the Global Research Prioritisation and Action Plan on Health, Migration and Displacement in the Context of Climate Change during a virtual webinar.

The launch brought together more than 300 participants from over 75 countries to address evidence gaps around one of the most pressing but under-researched global health challenges.

WHO said climate change is increasingly contributing to migration and displacement, especially among populations already facing vulnerability, poverty and limited capacity to adapt.

The organisation said climate-related mobility can affect health, wellbeing and access to care throughout the migration journey.

WHO Health and Migration Head Dr Santino Severoni said migrant and displaced communities must be included from the beginning in efforts to strengthen health systems. “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,” Severoni said.

The Global Research Prioritisation Exercise is the first thematic deep dive under WHO’s broader Global Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement.

It was developed through a participatory process that included a scoping review, stakeholder mapping, technical consultations and an online prioritisation survey. The process involved 59 experts from academia, policy and practice across different disciplines, sectors and regions.

The exercise identified priority research areas across three main themes: social determinants of health, universal health coverage and emergencies. It also focused on two cross-cutting areas, namely health outcomes and data, policy and interventions.

WHO said key priorities include addressing social inequities and vulnerabilities, improving access to health systems, strengthening preparedness for climate-related emergencies and building migration-sensitive data systems.

The roadmap also calls for more evidence on mental health, maternal and child health, chronic diseases and the long-term health effects of climate-related mobility.

WHO Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality Head Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum said stronger evidence is essential for effective policy. “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,” Campbell-Lendrum said.

WHO said the launch reinforced the need for stronger collaboration between climate, health and migration sectors.

The organisation said the research roadmap will support member states and partners to turn evidence into policy, strengthen capacity and build more resilient, migrant-inclusive health systems.

–WHO/ChannelAfrica–