NextBillion - A WDI Publication

At the World Health Summit 2025 held in Berlin, Germany: one of the world’s most influential gatherings on global health, a new voice from Asia took centre stage.

Hosted by Monash University Malaysia and developed in collaboration with the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, and the Maldives National University, the Regional Hub for Asia Climate Change and Health (REACH) made its global debut as part of the Advancing Research for Climate and Health (ARCH) initiative, a pioneering effort to strengthen scientific capacity and inform policy on how climate change is impacting public health.

Supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Canada and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), ARCH connects five regional hubs across Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East. Together, they form a global network designed to address a longstanding imbalance: where the regions most exposed to climate-related health risks remain underrepresented in research and decision-making, while knowledge and policy influence continue to be shaped elsewhere – often detached from local realities.

To strengthen the regional leadership within this global effort, the REACH Hub was established as a collaborative platform to build scientific and actionable capacities, fostering inclusive solutions tailored to the needs of vulnerable communities in South and Southeast Asia.

“The 2.5 billion people who call the southern and southeastern reaches of Asia home are facing an escalating convergence of climate and health crises,” said Professor Tin Tin Su, Director of the REACH Hub. “Rising temperatures, floods, and other environmental extremes are driving higher rates of infectious diseases, respiratory illness, and malnutrition, undermining health security across the region, particularly in rural and low-resource areas”.

With this, she emphasised that “Strengthening data systems and adaptive capacity is vital to
protect vulnerable populations and enable evidence-based policy action”.

Panel Discussion – Advancing Research for Climate and Health: Global South Leadership Means Global Impact A Better World, Within REACH

REACH aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, and community partners through funded research,  shared data, policy dialogues, strategic communication, and on-ground engagements. By aligning regional priorities with global frameworks, REACH Hub seeks to translate science into tangible and equitable outcomes for people and communities most affected by climate change.

Building on this foundation, REACH is co-developing a regional Climate and Health Roadmap through high-quality research and inclusive stakeholder engagement, with a strong emphasis on Gender, Equality and Inclusion (GEI). Through sub-grantee projects, the hub aims to strengthen climate and health literacy among communities and healthcare workers, empower local populations, and fortify health systems, prioritising support for vulnerable groups, including women, children, senior citizens, and indigenous communities.

A Call to Build Climate-Smart Health Systems To catalyse regional innovation, REACH Hub has launched its first funding call, inviting researchers, institutions, organisations, and industry partners from 14 eligible countries across South and Southeast Asia to co-develop community-driven climate-health solutions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3 Centred on two key themes:
1. Responsive Health and Climate Data Through Community-based Climate Adaptation Interventions
2. Climate Resilient Health Systems in Response To Climate-induced Health Risks

The funding call targets research that delivers real-world impact. Priority areas include developing culturally grounded heat adaptation and/or nature-based interventions, using innovative communication to build disaster-ready communities, strengthening primary healthcare systems, and cultivating a skilled, inclusive, and climate-literate health workforce.

Successful applicants stand to receive grants of up to MYR 400,000.00 to deliver projects that inform national strategies, reinforce frontline health systems, and protect vulnerable populations from escalating climate risks.

Expressions of Interest are now open until 14 December 2025, 11:59 PM MYT. Applicants with successful submissions will be formally invited to submit a full proposal for consideration.

Photo courtesy of Asian Development Bank.