Professor Tim Ensor is a CHORUS Research Director at the University of Leeds. In this webinar he discusses how the non-government sector is an important player in the formal or informal delivery of medical services. This mix of the public and private funding and healthcare provision present in the health systems of the four CHORUS…

Professor Tolib Mirzoev discusses how health system responsiveness is framed and empirically assessed, to inform possible application of this concept in the CHORUS projects.   The session draws on the original WHO framework and subsequent background review paper, and insights from collaborative research from the the on-going RESPONSE (improving systems responsiveness in Ghana and Vietnam)…

By Shreeman Sharma, HERD International Image depicts clients making inquiries at a primary health care centre in Pokhara Metropolitan City. Photo: Shreeman Sharma, HERDi HERD International is a partner in the CHORUS research consortium. We are implementing a study in Pokhara Municipality of Nepal to understand the local health system, and we aim to contribute…

Nana Efua E. Afun & Lauren J. Wallace Image shows COVID-19 community education and sensitization with elders in Ashaiman municipality, Greater Accra.   Background In Ghana, there are clear structures for the management of public health emergencies at all levels of government. There is a particular emphasis on coordination and communication between the various levels…

Lauren J. Wallace & Ivy Akushika Agbenu Image shows COVID-19 Sensitization at a Taxi Station in Ashaiman Municipality, Greater Accra, jointly led by the Municipal Health Management Team and Development Partners   Background The COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought renewed attention to the importance of understanding how politics shapes responses to health challenges. Government decisions…

Our Partners HERD International highlight the findings of the CHORUS study on how the government and private sector responses impacted the urban poor in Nepal during the pandemic. From the first case detected in January 2020 and the response measures that followed, the urban poor were hardest hit, and this was compounded by poor communication,…

by Prince Agwu, Chinyere Mbachu and Obinna Onwujekwe, Health Policy Research Group, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Background Nigeria’s urban population growth rate is currently estimated at 4.1%, and the urban population is expected to double by over 200m by 2050. A burgeoning urban population could be regarded as both advantageous and disadvantageous, considering the increase…

by Samina Huque, ARK Foundation A webinar was arranged on ‘Gender and Intersectionality Planning” on 10th January 2022.  The objective of the webinar was to provide guidance on using the gender and intersectionality framework (CHORUS’ Gender and Intersectionality Guide) to reflect on the data collection and to further shape the health systems intervention to be…

What is safeguarding? UKCDR defines safeguarding in research as “preventing and addressing any sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment of research participants, communities and research staff, plus any broader forms of violence, exploitation and abuse… such as bullying, psychological abuse and physical violence”. (UKCDR, February 2020) On a practical level, safeguarding means taking all reasonable steps…

By Tahmid Hasan, ARK Foundation   In Bangladesh, NCDs are estimated to account for 67% of all deaths. In low and middle-income countries, urbanization has been identified as one of the crucial underlying reasons for the increasing trends of NCDs. Bangladesh has also been experiencing rapid urbanization for the past two decades. The urban population…