The D4H Initiative is a global program focusing on improving public health data and developing health policies through different program initiatives. The DIP is a component of the D4H program which was initiated to build capacity for people and policy makers to use data knowledge for making informed health related policy decisions. In 2017, IEDCR became a partner of the D4H Initiative which is a very innovative and dynamic program partnership between IEDCR, CDC Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies in order to improve the country data system through capacity building of national development partners involved in health care and research. The program is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Twenty countries around the world are the partners  of this initiative including Bangladesh. University of Melbourne, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and Johns Hopkins University provide technical assistance to the initiative. In DIP there are four explicit and integrated components:

i)                   Capacity building on Data to Policy (D2P)

ii)                 Scientific Communication for developing skill on scientific writing and communication

iii)               Developing a National Bulletin for Public Health (NBPH) for scientific publication and sharing research data and

iv)               Public Health Policy briefs sharing in Policy Forum to facilitate informed policy making.

IEDCR is the host organization to conduct D2P in Bangladesh, which is basically a capacity building program designed to cater health staff of the Ministry, IEDCR and other relevant institutes’ research and program team.