WHO unveils roadmap to tackle health risks linked to climate migration - P. M. News
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a global research initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge on the health consequences of climate-related migration and displacement. According to a statement. . .
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a global research initiative aimed at strengthening knowledge on the health consequences of climate-related migration and displacement. According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the initiative was unveiled jointly by WHO’s Health and Migration Programme and its Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality Department. More than 300 experts, policymakers and researchers from over 75 countries participated in the inauguration, which focused on improving understanding of one of the world’s most complex and least explored public health challenges. WHO said although awareness of the links between climate change, migration and health has grown, major gaps remain in understanding how climate-related movement of people affects health, wellbeing and access to healthcare. The organisation noted that climate change is becoming an increasingly significant factor driving migration and displacement, particularly among communities with limited resources and low capacity to adapt. These populations often face heightened health risks before, during and after migration, while access to essential health services can also be disrupted. Dr Santino Severoni, Head of WHO Health and Migration, stressed that expanding research in the area was essential for achieving equitable healthcare. “Closing research gaps is a matter of equity. To achieve universal health coverage, strengthening climate resilience and advancing withhealth equity, migrant and displaced populations must not be an afterthought, they must be part of the solution from the beginning,” he said. Severoni explained that the Global Research Prioritisation Exercise (GRPE) represents the first major thematic project under WHO’s Global Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement. “The Global Research Prioritisation Exercise (GRPE), the first thematic deep dive under WHO’s Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement was developed to address these challenges. “It was also developed to support WHO’s commitment to generating robust, policy-relevant evidence for equitable and migration-inclusive health systems. “The exercise follows a structured, participatory approach, including a scoping review, stakeholder mapping, technical consultations and an online prioritisation survey, engaging 59 experts from academia, policy and practice across disciplines, sectors and regions. “The GRPE identifies 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. ”WHO said the exercise highlighted several urgent research priorities, including reducing social inequalities, improving access to healthcare, boosting preparedness for climate-related emergencies, strengthening migration-sensitive health data systems and expanding evidence on mental health, maternal and child health, chronic illnesses and the lasting effects of climate-driven displacement. Dr Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of WHO Climate Change, Energy and Air Quality, said stronger scientific evidence was needed to guide effective public health responses. “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,” he said. The discussions also emphasised closer collaboration between the climate, health and migration sectors. Participants called for stronger partnerships, improved migration-sensitive data collection, greater community involvement in research and policies that reflect the realities faced by displaced populations. WHO said it would work with member states and development partners to incorporate the new research roadmap into national and regional strategies, strengthen research capacity and ensure that scientific findings translate into practical policies. The organisation added that the GRPE is intended to support more resilient and inclusive health systems while promoting better health outcomes for migrants and displaced people living with the impacts of climate change.