Background
The technical stakeholder forums on developing the Western Pacific regional research agenda on health, migration, and displacement, with a focus on climate change, will take place online on 10–11 April 2025. This event brings together key stakeholders to develop a regional research agenda that strengthens evidence-informed policymaking and improves healthcare access for migrants, refugees, and host communities, particularly in the context of climate change.
In 2023, WHO Health and Migration launched the Global research agenda on health, migration and displacement to address the health needs of over 1 billion people worldwide, including 304 million international migrants and 123 million forcibly displaced persons. This is the first regional research agenda developed as part of the implementation of Global research agenda. It demonstrates how the WHO Implementation Guide and Toolkit on research agenda setting on health, migration and displacement can be adapted to the regional context.
Migrant and displaced populations often face significant barriers to healthcare, challenges that climate change—recognized as a "threat multiplier"—further exacerbates by impacting food security, housing, and education. The Asia-Pacific region, home to 60% of the world's population, is especially vulnerable to these effects. To ensure that global research priorities reflect regional operational and policy realities, WHO’s Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO), in collaboration with WHO Health and Migration (WHO HQ), is developing a research agenda tailored to migration and climate change in the region.
These meetings will identify key research gaps and priorities, ensuring alignment with global goals while addressing the region’s specific challenges. Discussions will shape a time-bound roadmap for strengthening evidence-based policy and practice. Expected outcomes include a regional research roadmap and action plan, improved research-to-policy translation, stronger multisectoral collaboration, and the generation of new evidence, particularly for those displaced and migrant populations affected by climate change.
The event welcomes interdisciplinary audience, including policymakers, researchers, civil society organizations, health professionals, and UN agencies, ensuring a broad and inclusive approach to tackling health, migration, and displacement challenges in the region.
Agenda Overview
The two-day forum is structured with Day 1 centered on the Pacific region and Day 2 focused on the Asia region, addressing regional research priorities on health, migration, and displacement, with a focus on climate change.
Segment | Speaker(s) |
Welcome and introductions | Event moderators: Sally Edwards, Coordinator, Health and Environment, Division of Healthier Populations, Western Pacific Regional Office (day two) Miriam Orcutt, Technical Officer, WHO Health and Migration, HQ (days one and two) |
Opening remarks | Santino Severoni , Director, WHO Health and Migration, HQ |
Framing overview: Global research agenda on health, migration, and displacement and the Triple Billion approach | Miriam Orcutt, WHO Health and Migration, HQ |
Translation into action: impact at country level | Sylvia Garry, Technical Officer, WHO Health and Migration, HQ |
Regional literature review and survey findings | Brian Hall, Director, Center for Global Health Equity, Professor of Global Public Health, NYU Shanghai |
Virtual breakout rooms for identification of evidence gaps for policy and practice | Event moderators |
Group session: Roadmap development for regional research agenda implementation | Event moderators |
Prioritization exercise breakout room | Event moderators |
| Summary and next steps | Sandro Demaio, Director, WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health in the Western Pacific Region (day one) Hiromasa Okayasu, Director, Division of Healthier Populations, Western Pacific Regional Office (day two) |
Closing of meeting | Miriam Orcutt, WHO Health and Migration, HQ |