CHORUS Case Study: The Influence of Changing Gender and Social Norms on Health Seeking Behaviour and Health Systems in Cities
CHORUS researchers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, Ghana and the UK participated in the 18th International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH), from 24-27 October 2022.
This case study is based on one of the CHORUS ICUH sessions titled ‘How are Changing Gender and Social Norms Influencing Health Seeking Behaviour and Health Systems in Cities in West Africa and South Asia?’. The session was chaired by Prof. Helen Elsey, University of York and presentations were provided by Dr Lauren J. Wallace, University of Ghana; Sushama Kanan, ARK Foundation, Bangladesh; Dr. Chinyere Mbachu, University of Nigeria and Abriti Arjyal, HERD International, Nepal.
Presentations included early findings from the CHORUS qualitative needs assessments, which involved interviews and participatory transect walks with residents, health providers and local stakeholders in the deprived urban areas selected for the CHORUS projects. The discussion emphasised how gender interacts with other social stratifies to affect health-seeking behaviour in underdeveloped urban areas, and looked at the similarities and differences between countries to draw up recommendations for how to improve urban health systems and foster equitable urban settings.