28/04/2026
Last Sunday, I had the privilege of attending the final dissemination workshop of the Community-led Responsive and Effective Urban Health System (CHORUS) Programme — a remarkable platform where evidence, experience, and policy dialogue came together with one common purpose: rethinking how urban health systems should serve the people, especially the underserved urban poor.
The workshop was not just a formal dissemination event; it was a powerful reminder that research has value only when it moves policy, and policy has meaning only when it changes people’s lives.
Throughout the discussions, one message became increasingly clear:
✅ Urban health challenges can no longer be managed through fragmented service delivery.
✅ Communities must become part of the solution, not just beneficiaries.
✅ Evidence-based strategic purchasing and responsive primary healthcare models are no longer optional — they are urgent necessities.
What inspired me most was seeing researchers, policymakers, implementers, and development partners sitting together with a shared realization that Bangladesh now needs actionable urban health reform, not isolated pilot projects.
The CHORUS journey has generated important lessons, but the bigger question now is — what next?
My personal takeaway from this workshop:
The future of urban healthcare in Bangladesh will depend on how courageously we can translate evidence into structural decisions, financing reforms, and accountable service delivery mechanisms.
If we truly want equitable healthcare for city populations, especially the vulnerable and informal settlements, we must begin moving toward:
🔹 strategic purchasing for urban primary healthcare,
🔹 stronger local government-health coordination,
🔹 community-responsive service models, and
🔹 policy commitments grounded in real evidence.
A successful workshop ends in a day.
A successful dialogue begins a movement.
I sincerely thank Professor Rumana Huque and ARK Foundation for convening such a timely and impactful event, and all distinguished participants for contributing to a discussion that can shape the next generation of urban health policy in Bangladesh.
Now the responsibility is ours — to ensure this evidence does not remain in reports, but turns into reform.