Kenya writes its own research agenda on the health of migrants, refugees and their hosts
Government, universities, UN agencies and civil society met with WHO to agree which questions to answer first. "This agenda belongs to Kenya, and that is its strength."
Nairobi — Kenya is drawing up a National Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement, so that policy for refugees, migrants and the communities that host them rests on evidence, the World Health Organization's Africa office said.
Kenya's Ministry of Health, WHO's Health and Migration Programme and the WHO country office brought together 32 representatives of government, UN agencies, universities, research institutes and civil society in Nairobi to agree the biggest gaps in knowledge and a roadmap to fill them.
Why it matters
"Migrants and refugees have a lot of health needs, and most of the time they are forgotten," said John Ndungu, the ministry's director of public health, pointing to pregnant women, older people and children who need vaccinating. "We must address the health issues not only of refugees but also of host communities."
Moving from place to place can disrupt access to services and continuity of care, WHO says, so health systems need evidence to respond well. Participants agreed research should follow national and county priorities, including non-communicable diseases, and that migrants and displaced people themselves should help shape it. "If we co-create these policies and involve the people who are concerned, those policies will be people-centred," said Professor Salome Bukachi of the University of Nairobi.
"This agenda belongs to Kenya, and that is its strength," said Dr Neema Kimambo, WHO's representative in Kenya. The final agenda and action plan will be prepared once the consultation's results are consolidated. The work is supported by Luxembourg, through the UHC Partnership, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Source: World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, 15 October 2026.
