International Development Group Implements Innovative Social Franchising for Health Clinics (Bangladesh)

This USAID-funded Smiling Sun Project is committed to improving the quality of life of all Bangladeshis by providing superior, friendly and affordable health services in a sustainable manner. The four-year project is creating an independent health franchise system, building on an existing national network of 319 permanent clinics run by 29 local NGOs that operate in 61 of the 64 districts of Bangladesh. The community outreach includes 8,500 satellite clinic spots and more than 6,000 local Community Service Providers (CSPs), who provide home-based services within their villages. This network serves approximately 20% of the people in Bangladesh and provides more than 20 million client contacts each year. The goal is to make the Smiling Sun network self-sustaining when donor funding ends in 2011.

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