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

Are Health Centre Committees a Vehicle for Social Participation in Health? Report on a Regional HCC Review Meeting, June 2017

CWGH; TARSC; UCT; LDHO (2017 June)

Themes:

Governance and participation in health

Country

East and southern Africa region

URL: Equinet HCC RegMtg Rep June2017.pdf

Using Policy dialogue to Strengthen Health Centre Committees as a Vehicle for Social Participation in Health System in East and Southern Africa. Report of Policy dialogue workshop

Zambia Ministry of Health; Lusaka District Health Office; TALC, CWGH in EQUINET (2016 January)

Themes:

Governance and participation in health

Country

Zambia

URL: EQ Zambia Policy dialogue meeting Rep2016.pdf

Global Health Diplomacy and regional health standards in the extractive sector, Session Report, 10 April 2017,

ECSA Health Community; EQUINET (2017 April)

Themes:

Health equity in economic and trade policies, Governance and participation in health

Country

East and southern Africa region

URL: GHD session report2017.pdf

EQUINET Policy brief 42: Harmonising regional standards for extractive industry responsibilities for health in east and southern Africa

Loewenson R; Hinricher J; Papamichail A (2017 February)

Themes:

Health equity in economic and trade policies

Country

East and southern Africa region

URL: EQ Polbrief 42 Health in EIs.pdf

Skills building on methods and tools for learning from action in participatory action research: Building action learning within affected actors and communities

Loewenson R; Flores W; Amaya A; London L; Koffa Kun K (2017 January)

Themes:

Values, policies and rights, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy

Country

International

URL: HSG PAR session on learning from action Rep2016.pdf

Diss 108 Appendices for the report on Corporate responsibility for health in the extractive sector in East and Southern Africa

Loewenson R; Hinricher J; Papamichail A (2016 November)

Themes:

Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Public-private mix, Governance and participation in health

Country