Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health Systems (CHORUS)

Who we are: CHORUS is a Research Programme Consortium that brings together health researchers from Africa, South Asia and the UK. CHORUS works with communities, health professionals and city level decision makers to develop and test ways to improve the health of the poorest urban residents.

The Challenge: As rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation continues across low- and middle-income countries, health systems are struggling to keep up, and the needs of poor urban communities are often not met. This is especially true for those experiencing exclusion due to intersections with gender, caste, ethnicity, religion and disability.

The Response: The CHORUS vision is to address these challenges and help build resilience in urban health systems. Our demand-led approach will work with poor communities to understand their health needs and design and evaluate interventions that will drive the improvement of the urban health system. We will work closely with urban policymakers and providers to ensure that any intervention developed is consistent with policy objectives and is feasible and sustainable.

Our research will centre on four key pillars:

1. Linking the plurality of public, private and informal providers
2. Multisectoral collaboration to address the wider influences of city life on health
3. Responding to the double burden of non-communicable disease and communicable disease
4. Identifying, reaching and engaging the urban poor

CHORUS is funded by UK aid from the British people, however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.