Partnering with the Government of Bangladesh to Strengthen the Urban Health Landscape

We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Agency for International Development awarded JSI the USAID Urban Health Activity alongside our partners Research, Training and Management International, Dushtha Shasthya Kendra, and BRAC University James P Grant School of Public Health.

The five-year Activity will work with the Government of Bangladesh, partners, local municipalities, and city corporations to establish and strengthen urban health systems that provide quality, equitable public health to Bangladeshis while optimizing available resources.

“With a deep understanding of Bangladesh’s urban health system and commitment to user-informed implementation, our dedicated team of experts will proactively engage with the actors, structures, and systems that influence health outcomes for urban areas,” said JSI president and CEO Muka Chikuba-McLeod. “Our locally led, multisectoral approach centers local leadership to be stewards of their health system and drive local data-based decision-making. JSI and our partners are honored and pleased to have this opportunity alongside the Government of Bangladesh to effect lasting, positive change in equitable health system performance for urban-based citizens.”

Bangladesh’s urban landscape is experiencing a marked shift caused by rapid population growth and epidemiological changes that impact the health system structure and the health of urban community members. To solve health system challenges and meet urban residents’ health needs, JSI and partners will identify barriers to reaching equitable health system performance, as well as the root causes of system inequities.

Building on previous investments, the Urban Health Activity will serve as a catalyst for urban health systems to be more resilient, optimize resources, and deliver quality health services across disease areas. These areas include family planning; maternal and child health and nutrition; tuberculosis; lead mitigation; air pollution; and global health security.

In partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, cities and municipalities, and local health authorities, we aim to strengthen the capacity of local partners to conduct evidence-based analysis of local health systems and epidemiological research for decision-making. Ultimately, this work will strengthen urban health system resilience so that these systems can be more responsive to shocks and stressors.

With our partners, we uphold the principles of equity, quality, resource optimization, evidence-based decision-making, resilience, and locally led development in pursuit of better health outcomes for all.