New IDRC-supported global research initiative on climate and health to be launched at the World Health Summit

The summit, held annually in Berlin, convenes policymakers, researchers, donors and health professionals to tackle urgent global health challenges. The 2025 theme is “Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World.”

The new Advancing Research for Climate and Health (ARCH) initiative, supported by IDRC and FCDO, is a CAD27.2 million investment in research on the links between climate and human health.

Strong health systems at global, regional and local levels are crucial as environmental changes increasingly threaten health and wellbeing. Evidence from research helps systems to prepare and respond to disease outbreaks and extreme weather, minimizing harm and building resilience. The ARCH initiative will generate tailored evidence to help societies protect health now and in the future.

ARCH is funding five regional research hubs in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, West and Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa and Asia. Each hub funds locally driven research, fosters knowledge exchange and strengthens research capacity with regional partners.

The ARCH session will take place at the World Health Summit on October 14, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Central European Summer Time. It features a panel with the five hub leads, an introduction, a moderated discussion and an audience Q&A. 

View the full session details and access the livestream link