Despite growing recognition of the climate–migration–health nexus, significant evidence gaps remain regarding how mobility in the context of climate change affects health, well-being and access to care. Climate change is increasingly recognized as contributing to the drivers of migration and displacement, disproportionately affecting populations already facing vulnerabilities and limited adaptive capacity, while influencing health risks and access to services throughout the migration journey.
“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,” said Dr Santino Severoni, head of WHO Health and Migration.
The Global Research Prioritization Exercise (GRPE), the first thematic deep dive under WHO’s Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement, was developed to address these challenges and support WHO’s commitment to generating robust, policy-relevant evidence for equitable and migration-inclusive health systems. The exercise followed a structured, participatory approach, including a scoping review, stakeholder mapping, technical consultations and an online prioritization survey, engaging 59 experts from academia, policy and practice across disciplines, sectors and regions.
The GRPE identified priority research areas across three core themes – social determinants of health, universal health coverage and emergencies – alongside two cross-cutting areas: health outcomes and data, policy and interventions. It also produced a global action roadmap to guide future research, policy and practice. Key priorities identified include addressing social inequities and vulnerabilities, strengthening access to health systems and services, improving preparedness and resilience to climate-related emergencies, enhancing migration-sensitive data systems, and generating evidence on mental health, maternal and child health, chronic diseases, and the long-term impacts of climate-related mobility.
“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,” said Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of WHO Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality.
The launch reinforced a shared commitment to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and ensure that research informs policy and practice. Discussions highlighted the need to break down silos across climate, health and migration sectors, strengthen migration-sensitive data systems, promote participatory and community-centred research, and translate evidence into practical policies and interventions that respond to the realities of affected populations. Participants also underscored the importance of sustained partnerships and stronger links between research, policy and implementation.
