Human-Centered Design Training in Bangladesh Emphasized Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Academic Capacity to Co-Design Respectful Health Care Spaces
Bangladesh, February 4, 2026 – The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and MASS Design Group successfully delivered the ‘Training Course on Human-Centered Design for Respectful Health Care Spaces,’ supported by Gates Foundation. The course, which took place February 1–3 in Bangladesh, introduced practical human-centered design approaches to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) care spaces. The training focused on building skills and perspectives applicable to future designs, renovations, expansions, and rational adaptations from evidence-based practices and global case studies.
Last year, National Policy Dialogue on Maternal and Newborn Health Care and Bangladesh Quality Improvement Convention 2025 emphasized the integration of quality, dignity, and service readiness into facility design. They called for infrastructure redesign and space optimization to be embedded within national MNH frameworks across public and private facilities, alongside technical capacity building in health care facility and hospital architecture.
Responding to these needs, the training this week strengthened shared capacity in human-centered design and fostered collaboration among engineers, architects, health administrators, service providers, and engaged end-users to support the development of functional, patient-centered, and service-ready MNH spaces. Amie Shao, Andrew Brose, From MASS Design Group, and Dr. Raihan Sharif from IHI, Bangladesh facilitated the sessions.
The three-day training convened participants from the Health Engineering Department (HED), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), Department of Architecture, and Public Works Department (PWD). During open discussions and interactive sessions, participants consistently emphasized that stronger interdepartmental and inter-ministerial coordination is essential for the thoughtful co-design of health care spaces.
In his closing remarks, Brig. Gen. Mir Sarwar Hossain Chowdhury, Chief Engineer, HED, outlined his vision and ongoing efforts to establish an academic platform for architects and engineers aimed at strengthening technical capacity in health care infrastructure, and called for support and commitment from all relevant stakeholders to advance this initiative.
Brig. Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. Rafiqul Islam, Country Director, IHI Bangladesh, expressed his sincere appreciation to all relevant stakeholders and reaffirmed IHI’s strong commitment in support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW) toward promoting respectful, people-centered health care facilities and strengthening overall quality of care.
Many participants noted that the training program enhanced their understanding of the technical aspects of designing healthcare spaces while also revealing how these spaces can be co-designed thoughtfully and human-centrically to support respectful care. The course was widely appreciated not only as a capacity-building initiative, but also as a valuable opportunity to collectively review proposed design prototypes with relevant stakeholders in an engaging and collaborative manner.
About the Delivering More Initiative
The Delivering More initiative, supported by Gates Foundation, outlines a human-centered process to co-design improved health care facilities that enable respectful maternal-newborn care for underserved populations. There is no more effective way to promote a healthy life than to ensure every life starts healthy. Yet the physical condition of facilities remains a major barrier to childbirth care. Overcrowding, lack of basic infrastructure like running water, and limited privacy compromise quality of care and deter women from seeking services. Poorly designed environments also strain providers, stretch limited resources, and contribute to worse outcomes and experiences.
Design can be leveraged to do more. Thoughtful and contextually aligned spaces – designed for both patients and providers – can promote facility-based births, expand capacity, and improve care. Beyond survival and safety, design plays a key role in enabling respectful childbirth experiences.
Since 2021, IHI and MASS Design Group have collaborated to assess health care facilities, engage stakeholders, and propose design improvements across multiple low- and middle-income countries. In parallel, the team developed a Human-Centered Design (HCD) toolkit to guide facility upgrades. Now in its second phase, the project is disseminating findings, providing technical support to institutions redesigning maternal-newborn health service delivery, and equipping stakeholders with practical tools.
Overall, the initiative envisions to elevate space and infrastructure as core components of the global maternal and newborn health agenda.
About the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a leading, globally recognized not-for-profit health care improvement organization that has been applying evidence-based quality improvement methods to meet current and future health care challenges for more than 30 years. IHI provides millions of people in health care with methods, tools, and resources to make care better, safer, and more equitable; convenes experts to enable knowledge sharing and peer-learning; and advises health systems and hospitals of all sizes in improving their systems and outcomes at scale. IHI’s mission is to innovate and lead transformational improvement in health and health care worldwide.