Join us at the Seventh Global Symposium on Health Systems Research

We’re delighted to join our colleagues at the Seventh Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR2022) which will take place in Bogota, Colombia from October 31 – November 4, 2022, bringing together approximately 2,000 health systems researchers, policymakers and practitioners from around the world. 

ARISE will be running the following sessions and we’d love to see you there:

Satellite: Actors and alliances to transform health and wellbeing in cities
Chaired by Sally Theobald, LSTM

31 October 2022
8.30am – 12pm
Level 2, Room J

This satellite session brings together researchers, decision-makers, community representatives and practitioners working on systems strengthening and social determinants of urban health and wellbeing. We will map out current research, advocacy and action; identify challenges, synergies and gaps and discuss how to connect and expand communities of practice in this area. Sign up to attend digital session: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QGH6TXF 

Institutional capacity to support equitable partnerships in health systems research: Experience sharing
Organiser: Robinson Karuga

1 November 2022
12:30 PM – 04:00 PM
Level 3 – ÑO


This highly participatory session is focused on building institutional capacity to support equitable partnerships in health systems research encouraging critical reflections and sharing what this means in practice.

Who are responsible for healthcare in informal urban settlements in Bangladesh?: Findings from a participatory research
Organiser: Bachera Aktar

2 November 2022
4 – 5.30pm 
Venue: HI


Bangladesh’s informal urban settlements are home to millions of poor, marginalised people. Due to the lack of comprehensive urban policy, those settlements are not recognized in urban development planning. Policymakers’ and service providers’ poor understanding of the local political and social realities in informal settlements leads to neglect of the needs of the urban poor. This research is trying to unpack those socio-political determinants of health governance in informal urban settlements in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh.

Urban Primary Health Care Systems – Co-designing initiatives to strengthen complex systems
Organiser: Helen Elsey


3 November 2022
11am – 12.30pm
Venue TBC


Urban health systems face multiple challenges including coordinating across sectors, public and private providers and reaching underserved poor city residents. This session will share findings from research in West African and South Asian cities and debate health system solutions co-designed with local governments, public and private providers and residents.

‘You want to deal with power while riding on power’: visualising the social ecology of power in politics and policy in health systems
Organiser: Ivy Chumo

4 November 2022
9am – 10.30am
Venue TBC


Adopting the ‘social ecology of power’ framework, academic, civil society, community partners will provide perspectives on negotiating  power inequalities that restrict or exclude participation of people living in informal settlements in decision making processes. A power-mapping exercise with participants will examine the multilevel power dynamics that impede health advancement.

Accountability from below? Learning from Participatory Research processes on water and sanitation in urban informal settlements
Organiser: Vinodkumar Rao

4 November 2022
11am – 12.30pm
Venue TBC


Community co-researchers from the ARISE consortium share their experiences of claiming ‘accountability from below’ for water and sanitation in informal urban spaces in Bangladesh, India, Kenya and Sierra Leone through videos and discussion between co-researchers, a policy maker and the audience.


By participating in HSR2022 in Bogota, we aim to share our ideas on strengthening health systems as well as engaging in dialogue with a diverse community, ranging from high-level policy-makers, researchers and donors to practitioners and advocates on the ground. We’re very much looking forward to seeing you at these sessions!