Local-level governance of COVID-19 pandemic management in selected informal urban settlements in Dhaka city, Bangladesh: Findings from Governance Network Mapping
By Bachera Aktar
The poster presented findings from a community-based participatory research method “Governance Network Mapping” that explored the local-level governance of COVID-19 pandemic response in two informal urban settlements in Dhaka city. It was part of a multi-method PhD research. The findings revealed that in informal urban settlements, the pandemic was managed through a hybrid arrangement between multiple types of actors at the local level – formal and informal, health and non-health and state and non-state actors.
The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the importance of recognizing the influence of informal governance actors and community engagement in pandemic and disaster management, especially in informal urban settlements. Hybrid arrangement has the potential to provide support to poor and marginalized communities, that might not be otherwise forthcoming, but also brings challenges to effective targeting and delivery of support to those most in need. The pandemic has also highlighted the need for strengthening the capacity of local government to play the coordination role effectively in future pandemic and public health emergency management.
Winning the Lancet-CUGH Student Poster Competition and receiving the award in front of global public health experts was a great accomplishment for me as a PhD student and also as a health systems researcher.