Who we are

Bangladesh Health Watch (BHW) started its journey in 2006 as a group of concerned citizens and experts with a vision of facilitating universal health coverage for all the citizens in Bangladesh. Since the foundation, BHW has been working to bring about sustainable improvements in the health sector in Bangladesh through research, documentation, policy advocacy and networking.

Vision

Universal Health Coverage is ensured for all citizens of Bangladesh.

Mission

Building a functional platform through which citizens and all other relevant stakeholders of the country can get their voices heard and thereby influence policies and programmes impacting citizen's health.

Core values

Projects of BHW

BHW's current project is "Institutionalising Accountability in Health Systems to Improve Access to Services," (Phase 2) which is funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). This project is a continuation of the previous project "Making Bangladesh Health Care Systems More Responsive and Participatory" (Phase 1).

Governance

BHW operates from its secretariat at James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University and guided by an Advisory Group and a Working Group. The Advisory Group provides strategic guidance and support to the Working Group. The secretariat implements the programs of BHW following the guidelines from the Working Group.

Bringing voices of grassroots to policymakers

Voices of the grassroots people hardly reach to the policymaking forums.

BHW has formed Eight (8) Regional Chapters comprising of civil society members to monitor health service situations at the local level, which act as the bridge between the service seekers and providers. Regional Chapters bring the concerns and voices of the service providers and recipients to the policymakers through District Health Rights Forums (DHRF), Upazila Health Rights Forums, and Union Health Rights Forum. Alongside there are Youth Forums to support health advocacy programmes of Health Rights Forums (HRFs) at the respective level.

Regional Chapters

1. Kurigram
2. Chapainawabganj
3. Netrokona
4. Sunamganj
5. Manikganj
6. Bagerhat
7. Barguna
8. Khagrachhari