Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

NIH: Fogarty International Center NIH: Fogarty International Center
Advancing Science for Global Health
Advancing Science for Global Health
Home > Center for Global Health Studies > Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research (GFH2R) Print

Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research (GFH2R)

About the Global Forum

This photo shows an Ethiopian woman standing among cattle who wander disoriented because they can't find water. Photo by Nancy McNally/Catholic Relief Services

Humanitarian crises—including those resulting from armed conflict, forced migration and displacement, natural hazards, large-scale epidemics, and climate change—continue to proliferate globally and impact more people today than at any point in recorded history. To better meet the health needs of people affected by these events, humanitarian organizations need to act on reliable evidence. Unfortunately, there is limited scientific evidence available for these organizations to draw upon. Conducting health research in a humanitarian context is complex and uniquely challenging and has often been limited to small-scale pilots or evaluation in the past, which has resulted in a significant gap in evidence available to inform humanitarian policy and practice.

The Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research (GFH2R) is a unique effort to address this gap. The Forum seeks to bring researchers, humanitarian organizations (including NGOs, local policymakers, and international agencies), and research funding agencies together to share experiences and promote collaboration around health research in humanitarian settings. The meeting is built around case study presentations by researchers from regions of the world affected by humanitarian crises. The Forum prioritizes the participation of researchers from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), encourages networking and mentoring, and creates a venue for open and inclusive discussions.

GFH2R 2025: Health Research at the Nexus of Humanitarian Crises and Climate Change

In collaboration with Canada's International Development Research Centre, Elrha, and the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative, Fogarty will host a second Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research (GFH2R) including a series of public webinars beginning in August 2024 and an in-person meeting in May 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya. The theme for GFH2R 2025 is Health Research at the Nexus of Humanitarian Crises and Climate Change.

GFH2R Background Paper

Learn more about the GFH2R theme and relevant subthemes that will guide the preparation of the GFH2R cases studies.

Webinar Series

GFH2R 2025 will hold a series of public webinars beginning in August 2024. The first webinar was associated with the launch of GFH2R 2025. The second webinar will take place on November 21, 2024 on Global Perspectives on Climate Change & Humanitarian Health: What's happening in the research space?

Frequently Asked Questions

Steering Committee

  • Adam Levine, Brown University School for International and Public Affairs
  • Catherine Lee, Community Partners International
  • Chaza Akik, Independent public health research consultant
  • Eliana Martinez-Herrera, National School of Public Health, Universidad de Antioquia
  • Gillian McKay, Elrha
  • Irene Torres, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
  • John Jamir Benzon Aruta, De La Salle University
  • Jura Augustinavicius, McGill University School of Population and Global Health
  • Manuela A. Orjuela-Grimm, Columbia University
  • Marie Roseline Darnycka Belizaire, World Health Organization
  • Miriam Orcutt, World Health Organization
  • Montasser Kamal, International Development Research Centre
  • Patrick Opiyo Owili, African Population and Health Research Center
  • Sabina Faiz Rashid, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
  • Sasha Fahme, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Shannon Doocy, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • Thandi Kapwata, South African Medical Research Council
  • Veena Pillai, Médecins Sans Frontières/Diode Consultancy
  • Yasser Kamaledin, Médecins Sans Frontières – Netherlands

GFH2R 2021: Research in the Context of Concurrent Crises

The first Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research (GFH2R) was convened as a virtual meeting from November 8-18, 2021, to explore the theme of "Research in the Context of Concurrent Crises."

GFH2R 2021 was built around 15 case study presentations by researchers from regions of the world directly affected by humanitarian crises. Nearly 100 participants from 31 countries joined the meeting, 70 percent of whom were from LMICs and more than 90 percent of whom identified as early- or mid-career researchers. Much of the meeting was spent in small breakout group discussions exploring key themes in humanitarian health research, such as intersectional vulnerability, inclusive and participatory research, and community engagement. These discussions also examined the challenges of conducting research in the context of COVID-19 and with difficult to reach populations. One additional session brought researchers and research funders together to explore challenges and opportunities in the field.

GFH2R 2021 was supported by the International Development Research Centre, UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and the Fogarty International Center at NIH

2021 Summary Report

The GFH2R 2021 Meeting Report includes an overview of the meeting goals and participants, discussion of key themes, detailed summaries of meeting sessions, featured case studies, and an evaluation of the proceedings.

Inquiries

Questions? Please email GFH2R@mail.nih.gov.

More Information

Updated November 5, 2024