Urban Health Collaborative

A multi-stakeholder collaborative approach to address urban health challenges in India

Urban Health Initiative

The United Nations estimates that by 2050, India’s urban population will reach a staggering 877 million, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the nation’s people. Yet, our urban areas remain marked by stark inequities in access to services and opportunities – inequities that have only deepened in the wake of the pandemic.

Urban poverty is complex and multidimensional, shaped by factors like where people live, their social identities, and the nature of their work. These factors also influence the health risks faced by the urban poor, who experience disproportionately higher rates of illness and death.

Addressing systemic health inequities

At Samyak, we believe that true impact will be achieved when every person in urban India, regardless of income, identity, or status, has the same access (and information) to quality healthcare as the country’s wealthiest citizens. We launched the Urban Health Initiative (UHI) to challenge and address the systemic health inequities in India’s cities. It’s a step towards ensuring no one is left behind in pursuing a healthier and more equitable urban future.

How We Operate?

UHI brings together diverse stakeholders like governments, funders, non-profits, public health experts, urban practitioners, researchers, private sectors, and technology firms to solve urban health issues.We aim to improve the quality of life of urban marginalised communities, by reducing existing health inequities.

UHI works at 3 different levels

National Level where it engages with policy-makers and key stakeholders to shape the discourse of urban health as well as climate – health in India, aligning partners to prioritise and strengthen urban health policies, programmes, frameworks and models across India

State level where it supports institution-building for urban health; providing technical support and facilitating convergence across government departments to promote a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach

At the city level, where innovative, context-driven solutions that are tech-based and community-centric, conceptualised and tested, often in partnership with the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Our Partners

Urban health challenges are multifaceted and too complex for any single entity to address alone. To that end, Samyak builds transformative partnerships that help promote health equity.