The World Health Organization (WHO) is building on its 2023 Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement by identifying key research priorities on the intersection of climate change, migration and health.
The latest report, titled ‘Global research prioritization and action plan on health, migration and displacement in the context of climate change,’ was launched during a global virtual webinar on July 22, 2026. It represents the first thematic deep dive under the WHO’s Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement.
The 2023 agenda was developed to address gaps in comprehensive, high-quality and policy-relevant research on the health of migrants, refugees and other displaced populations. It was based on consultations with more than 180 stakeholders across different regions and established global research priorities for the field.
The latest research prioritization exercise recognizes climate change as an increasingly important driver of migration and displacement, particularly among populations already in vulnerable situations and with limited adaptive capacity. Climate change can also affect their health and access to health services throughout the migration and displacement journey.
The report identifies priority research areas across three core themes-social determinants of health, universal health coverage and emergencies-and two cross-cutting themes focused on data, policy and interventions, and health outcomes.
Research gaps
Among the identified research gaps are the effects of social and structural determinants on health, barriers to health-care access, the inclusion of migrants and displaced populations in health systems and emergency responses, the long-term health impacts of displacement, and the need for improved data and intersectional analyses.
The exercise also calls for research into climate change and its relationship with health, migration and displacement, including early warning signs of climate-related health risks and approaches to strengthening preparedness and response.
‘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 emphasized that research must be interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral and context-sensitive. It also called for a paradigm shift toward inclusive, equity-driven research that recognizes the diversity of migrant experiences and climate impacts.
‘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.