Thus the study seeks to identify the inadequacies of the policies and practices contributing to the lack of primary and public health services for the urban poor. It draws on the findings of an empirical study conducted in four slums of the capital city of Bangladesh. According to projections by the United Nations, rapid urbanization of the Asia-Pacific region will continue and, by 2025, the majority of the region’s population will live in urban areas (ESCAP 2007, para.