Developing an effective primary healthcare (PHC) model for urban areas remains a significant challenge in India and HSTP is actively working to address this gap. We have conducted urban healthcare assessments and established partnerships with the urban health systems of Mysuru and Bhopal. In Mysuru, HSTP conducted a comprehensive assessment of the PHC system, while in Bhopal, efforts were made to adapt the WHO Healthy Cities Framework.
The “Healthy Cities Programme” in Bhopal, adapted from the WHO framework is designed to address key determinants of urban health and create a healthier environment for residents. This place-based approach targets five essential themes: water, sanitation, environment, food and individual &family health each central to improving health outcomes.
To ensure inclusivity and community relevance, the study involved stakeholders from various sectors including experts and community representatives. Recognizing the importance of tracking progress, HSTP focused on identifying measurable indicators and establishing a baseline report. HSTP’s “Healthy Cities” framework draws on global and national efforts to build healthier cities and outlines strategies for inter-sectoral collaboration, setting a clear path forward for Bhopal.
This study examines the preferred sources of primary care by the urban population and identifying the factors that influence their choice of healthcare facilities in Bhopal, Mysuru and Bhubaneswar.
This assessment seeks to understand the facilitators and obstacles in delivering urban primary healthcare services in these cities, helping us to identify areas requiring improvement to enhance service delivery.
By mapping urban civil society partners and by identifying the roles and capacities of urban civil society organizations in Bhopal, Mysuru, and Bhubaneswar.
This study aims to assess the share of primary healthcare services delivered by municipal health services, Employee State Insurance (ESI) dispensaries, UPHCs and private sector providers (both formal and informal) in these urban areas.
Forum for Health Systems Design and Transformation, more popularly known as Health Systems Transformation Platform (HSTP), a company licensed under section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013 incorporated under the aegis of Tata Trusts.
Samagra Urban Mother and Child Project
Building on these findings, and with the support of The Infosys Foundation, we are implementing the Samagra Urban Mother and Child Project. This initiative aims to address the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations, particularly in urban slums, and improve health outcomes for mothers and children. The program focuses on the Reproductive Maternal, Neonatal, Child and adolescent (RMNCH+A) services across the Urban Primary Health Centres in Mysuru city in improving quality, access, coverage and affordability of services. Efforts are underway to expand the pilot to addressing noncommunicable diseases, mental health and elderly care supported by additional funding.
To enhance community engagement, HSTP is partnering with the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) Karnataka, to train health volunteers from women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs). HSTP has developed a training module that will equip SHG members with the knowledge to advocate for and access health services which is accepted by NULM. As the next step, the module will be scaled up across SHG groups under the NULM, in collaboration with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. HSTP is also working towards development of robust referral systems and come up with policy solutions regarding the same. A case study on Mysuru evidence to implementation has also been submitted to WHO. HSTP will continue to explore urban PHC models through targeted pilot interventions aimed at identifying scalable solutions for comprehensive urban primary healthcare across diverse settings.
