Research Alliance for Affordable Health (RAAH) Roundtable

The JSW Centre for Climate Change and Health was pleased to participate in the Research Alliance for Affordable Health (RAAH) Roundtable, an Australia–India–Denmark initiative, held on 31 March–1 April 2026 in New Delhi.

Hosted by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) in partnership with Deakin University and the University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet), the roundtable convened senior leaders and researchers to shape a shared research and policy agenda across three key themes: Climate Change and Health, Technology-enabled Health Systems, and Health Professional Education.

The Climate Change and Health session highlighted the growing urgency of addressing climate as a multidimensional public health challenge, leading to disasters, diseases, displacement, and disruption of livelihoods, while disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. Key insights from the session included- Climate change is emerging as a major driver of child undernutrition, while also straining health systems that must adapt to a growing burden of chronic diseases. Urban microclimates are contributing to year-round transmission of vector-borne diseases, and frontline health workers face increasing climate-related risks. These challenges highlight the urgent need for low-carbon, climate-resilient healthcare systems, alongside stronger evidence on the impacts of climate stressors on adolescent cognitive health, particularly in LMICs.

Key takeaways from the discussions:

✔️ Strong focus on policy translation and implementation research

✔️ Importance of community engagement and locally contextual, co-designed solutions

✔️ Need for an adaptive and climate-ready health workforce

✔️ Opportunities for cross-country collaboration and data sharing

✔️ Shift toward integrated, systems-based approaches

This roundtable reinforced a shared commitment to move from evidence to action, building resilient, equitable, and climate-responsive health systems at scale.