Equinet Africa

EQUINET, the Regional Network on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa, is a network of professionals, civil society members, policy makers, state officials and others within the region who have come together as an equity catalyst, to promote and realise shared values of equity and social justice in health.

EQUINET gathers people to overcome isolation, give voice and promote networking using bottom-up approaches built on shared values. We have come together in a spirit of self determination and collective self reliance working through existing government, civil society, research and other mechanisms and institutions in East and Southern Africa.

EQUINET is building a forum for dialogue, learning, sharing of information and experience and critical analysis. We do this to build knowledge and perspectives, shape effective strategies, strengthen our voice nationally, regionally and globally and to buiild strategic alliances to influence policy, politics and practice towards health equity and social justice.

EQUINET's work covers a wide range of areas identified as priorities for health equity, within the political economy of health, health services and inputs to health, covered in the theme areas shown on this site. EQUINET is governed by a steering committee with representatives from institutions in the region, has five cluster leads that co-ordinate major areas of work and has a secretariat at the Training and Research Support Centre Zimbabwe.

In 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 epidemic we prepared information briefs that compile relevant evidence for the ESA region on COVID-19, its epidemiology, impact, prevention and management. Please read past sheets on the website under EQUINET publications and subscribe if you would like to receive future sheets. We welcome information from or relevant to the region to be included in the information briefs

Meetings

EQUINET CONFERENCE 2022 has been successfully held! Watch key sessions if you missed any.

In 2022 EQUINET has been hosting a regional conference under the overall theme "Catalysing change for health and social justice' . The conference has been online, in three separate thematic days (already held) and a fourth half day held on 17 November on the future networking and organisation on health equity. It's been an exciting four days, with alot of evidence, ideas, experience from and exchanges within the region. Please select EQUINET CONFERENCE on the side tabs and visit the conference pages for more information, for the programmes, video recordings and the resolutions adopted at the conference. You can find the programmes for the conference days on the programme page, the video records of the opening and conference sessions are on the Resources page, and the resolutions for action adopted on day 4 on the Resolutions page.

Grants

Desk review of health-related food standards in east and southern Africa
Call closed

This desk review aims to identify the legal standards covering food safety and standards, key food management systems, with attention to general and specific food-related risks and health promoting standards, and the governance, functions, administration and financing of food systems in east and southern African countries. It is being commissioned by the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) in association with the ECSA Health Community. The paper aims to support improved legal and policy frameworks on health promoting food standards and systems by providing a desk review and matrix table of domestic legal and statutory provisions in 16 ESA countries (Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia) taking note of key international and regional standards, and guidance.

The review will use online information from international agency websites and African and ESA regional organisations, and online legal databases for the above 16 countries to identify the most recent laws and specific standards in force for:

International and regional standards and guidance relevant to food risks, safety and standards relating to the principles, rights, duties and authorities included, the key areas of food safety, risk, standards covered; and provisions/guidance on functions, governance and financing.
Domestic law in relation to food and health in relation to scope, objectives and mission; principles, rights and duties; key areas of food safety, risks and standards; key functions; mechanisms and administration; governance and financing.

The consultant will provide a 30 page report; a tabulated appendix of legal standards ((constitution, acts and relevant regulations) in key areas for each of the 16 ESA countries and a 4 page summary brief. The review paper will be produced as an EQUINET discussion paper. It may be used thereafter as source material for other publications. It will be drafted, reviewed and final version produced between late September and end November 2022. Please send any queries on this work to the EQUINET secretariat at admin [at] equinetafrica.org.

Latest Equinet Publications

Séries Politicas 20: Alcançando a a promess: O progresso sobre o compromisso da Abuja de 15% dos fundos do governo para a saúde

McIntyre, F; Loewenson, R; Govender, V (2008 November)

Themes:

Resource allocation and health financing

Country

Southern Africa Regional

URL: POLBRIEF20ABUJAportuguese.pdf

Séries Politicas 19: Será que estamos a fazer progressso em a equita frica Os diferentes distritos, regiões e províncias num país têm diferentes necessidades de saúde e os s r a gestão orque importa alocação equitativa dos recursos de assistência da os, o

McIntyre, D; Chitah, ; Mabandi, L; Masiye, F; Mbeeli, T; Shamu, S (2008 November)

Themes:

Resource allocation and health financing

Country

Southern Africa Regional

URL: POLBRIEF19FINportuguese.pdf

Workshop report: Protecting health and equitable health services in the Economic Partnership Agreements in east and southern Africa, 18 and 18 September 2008, Munyonyo, Uganda

Southern and Eastern African Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI); Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) (2008 September)

Themes:

Health equity in economic and trade policies

Country

East and southern Africa region

URL: REPMTG0908EPA.pdf

Discussion Paper 66: Key issues in equitable health care financing in East and Southern Africa

McIntyre, D; Govender, V; Buregyeya, E; Chitama, D; Kataika, E; Kyomugisha, E; Kyomuhangi, R; Mbeeli, T; Mpofu, A; Nzenze, S; Walimbwa, A; Chitah, B; Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town; School of Public Health, Makerere University; Department (2008 May)

Themes:

Resource allocation and health financing

Country

East and southern Africa region

URL: DIS66FINresmob.pdf

Reclaiming the Resources for Health: A Regional Analysis of Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa

EQUINET steering Committee (2007 October)

Themes:

Equity in health

Country

Zimbabwe

URL: EQUINET_Reclaiming_the_Resources_for_Health_in_ESA.pdf

Workers on Wednesday: Healthworker retention in South Africa

SAFM; Workers World Media Productions (2008 September)

Themes:

Human resources for health

Country

South Africa

URL: SAFM-EQUINET_HCWretention240908.mp3

Resolutions: Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in East and Southern Africa: Health Equity and Primary Health Care: Responding to the Challenges and Opportunities: Munyonyo, Uganda, 16-18 September 2008

Southern and East African Parliamentary Alliance of Committees On Health (SEAPACOH); Partners in Population and Development, Africa Regional Office; Regional Network on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET); African Population and Health (2008 September)

Themes:

Governance and participation in health

Country

Southern Africa Regional

URL: RESsep2008parl.pdf

Policy Brief 21: Tackling implementation gaps through health policy analysis

EQUINET; Centre for Health Policy, University of Witwatersrand; Health Economics Unit, University of Cape Town (2008 September)

Themes:

Monitoring equity and research to policy

Country

East and southern Africa region