"Strengthening Systems for Pandemic Preparedness among Working Women Living in Informal Settlements in Urban Bangladesh," was held at the Sasakawa Auditorium of icddr,b in the capital. Photo: icddr,b

DHAKA, June 25, 2025 (BSS) - To enhance pandemic preparedness for vulnerable urban populations, icddr,b, in collaboration with the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and SickKids, Canada, hosted a research dissemination seminar focused on working women in informal settlements.

The event, titled "Strengthening Systems for Pandemic Preparedness among Working Women Living in Informal Settlements in Urban Bangladesh," was held at the Sasakawa Auditorium of icddr,b in Mohakhali, Dhaka, a press release said today. 

Supported by funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, the seminar brought together public health experts, policymakers, development partners and researchers to discuss the findings and policy implications of the Women RISE study.

The Women RISE study, led by Dr. Sohana Shafique, employed a sequential mixed-methods implementation research approach to explore the lived experiences of working women in urban informal settlements and garment factories before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Conducted across icddr,b's Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (UHDSS) sites in Dhaka and Gazipur, and in six selected ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Gazipur, the research examined the critical intersections of gender, employment and health in low-resource settings.

The project utilized systems thinking and gender-transformative approaches at the micro, meso and macro levels to co-design and assess an intervention package tailored to strengthen pandemic preparedness for working women.

The programme opened with a welcome address from Dr. Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of icddr,b. Emphasizing the importance of the study in the current global health landscape.

He stated: "I believe the results of this study will help all of us to prepare for any impending pandemic. We should be careful now that the waves of COVID-19 are increasing again - this gives us the opportunity to further refine and improve what we have been doing."