The work presented in this policy brief was prompted by a request from the Zambian parliamentary committee on Health, Community Welfare and Social Development. The parliamentarians had wanted to know why despite all the funding to the health sector, there were no ‘visible’ gains to speak of from the on-going health reforms.
Latest Equinet Updates
Discussion paper 29: Planning and budgeting for Primary Health Care in Zambia: A policy process analysis of experiences and outcomes (1995-2004)
Ngulube TJ, Mdhluli LQ, Gondwe K
Discussion paper 35: Perceptions of health workers about conditions of service: A Namibian case study
Iipinge S, Hofnie K, van der Westhuizen L, Pendukeni M: May 2006
Human resources for health have become a topical issue at local, regional and global levels. In Namibia health worker mobility remains a concern for those in human resources planning. Achieving equity in this area needs a concerted effort from all sectors involved. However little is understood about the role that conditions of service play in influencing health professional mobility in Namibia. The study set out to explore and describe the influence of conditions of service on the movement and retention of the health professionals in Namibia. It is a qualitative study targeting mainly professional nurses, doctors, social workers and health inspectors at both operational and managerial levels, in public and private sectors.
EQUINET Discussion paper 36: Issues facing primary care health workers in delivering HIV and AIDS related treatment and care
South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, April 2006
his study explored the possibility of joint health worker and community activism at a primary care level in South Africa, and the human resource requirements needed for the effective treatment and care of HIV/AIDS within the public health service. The study used participatory approaches and involved five SAMWU shop stewards in the design, data collection and analysis of the research. The study was implemented between October and November 2005 in five primary health care (PHC) clinics in the Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu Natal. Twenty-four health workers (fifteen of which were interviewed in depth) and eighteen health committee members were interviewed across the five different sites using a semi-structured interview guide.
Health Systems Knowledge Network of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health
EQUINET is part of a consortium that was appointed in September 2005 to co-ordinate the Health Systems Knowledge Network of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health. The Centre for Health Policy in South Africa has been appointed as the hub of the Knowledge Network on Health systems. The Commission is a global strategic mechanism to improve equity in health through action on the social determinants of health at global, regional and country level. This outline briefly describes the function and key areas of work of the Health Systems Knowledge Network, exploring the important role that health systems can play in reducing social differentials in health.
Further details: /newsletter/id/31530
New paper available: Survival and retention strategies for Malawian health professionals
EQUINET Discussion paper series 32: Muula AS, Maseko FC
Malawi, like many southern African countries, is facing a critical human resources for health (HRH) crisis, preventing it from delivering acceptable quality health care services to its population. The reasons underlying the shortage of health professionals are multiple and include limited output from training institutions, high attrition rates resulting from migration and disease, and increased workloads because of HIV and AIDS. Despite the increasing levels of migration of health professionals from Malawi which have caught international attention, many continue to serve their country. The challenges encountered by these health workers (which may eventually become push factors), and the coping or survival strategies that they utilise deserve attention if any meaningful solutions to retain health professionals in Malawi are to be developed.
New paper available: The distribution of pharmacists trained at the University of the North, South Africa
EQUINET Discussion paper 31: Dambisya YM, Modipa IS, Legodi M
The study was part of a cluster of countries studies on distribution and retention of human resources for health in the EQUINET/ Health Systemns Trust theme work on Human Resourdces for Health. The paper explored factors in the retention of pharmacists in South Africa. The key findings are:
• Most pharmacists trained at the University of the North are within South Africa.
• Of 121 respondents, 46% work in rural areas, and 63% in the public sector. Pharmacists of rural origin are more likely to work in rural areas and in the public sector than their counterparts coming from urban areas.
• In the reasons given for choosing the current job, opportunities for further professional development and the desire to serve the community were more commonly cited factors than pay. However, many said they would change jobs for better pay.
• Respondents perceived that the profession was not adequately recognised or valued within the health sector nor by clients.
These and other study findings reported suggest that a mix of financial and non-financial incentives are needed to address the scarcity of pharmacists in the public sector and in rural areas.
Grants for resource allocation and resource mobilisation
Over the last couple of years EQUINET, through the Health Economics Unit University of Cape Town and the Centre for Health Policy at the University of the Witswaterand, have been running a program of work on Fair Financing in the health sector. Two calls for proposals sent out this year in line with this program of work are in resource allocation and resource mobilisation. The deadline for the proposals is 19 May 2006, with work expected to begin on 1 July 2006 and completed on 28 February 2007.
Further details: /newsletter/id/31406
Contact: admin@equinetafrica.org
Report of regional planning meeting: Retention and migration of health personnel in Southern Africa
EQUINET; TARSC; Health Systems Trust; University of Namibia and ECSA with support from SIDA
The meeting briefly:
* reviewed evidence, current programmes and priority areas for future work to support retention and manage migration of HRH from national and regional level;
* planned a regional programme of work to support national HRH planning, monitoring and evaluation; and
* discussed institutional mechanisms for guidance and review of the follow up work programme.
An exploratory discussion was also held to map priority areas of work to gather, analyse and review evidence on costs and benefits of HRH migration out of east and southern Africa, and to assess and support policy measures aimed at managing HRH migration.
Tragic death of the chair of the Kenya parliamentary committee on health
Hon Guracha Galgalo, Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on Health, Housing and Social Services in the Kenya National Assembly was tragically killed in an accident that killed fourteen people after a Kenya Airforce plane crashed into a hill in Marsabit on 10 April 2006. Among those on board the plane were Assistant Ministers Mirugi Kariuki and Titus Nguyoni and MPs Bonaya Godana, Abdi Sasura and Guracha Galgalo. Hon Guracha Galgalo as Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on Health, Housing and Social Services worked with the Nairobi Equity Gauge, GEGA and EQUINET in building parliamenary work to promote equity in health in Kenya and in east and southern Africa. EQUINET has expressed deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to Hom Galgalos family, to the members of the Committee and the Kenyan National Assembly as a whole.
Further details: /newsletter/id/31423
Call for applicants for country level research grants for grants on resource mobilisation for equity in health
Call Closes On May 5 2006
EQUINET through the Health Economics Unit University of Cape Town, Cape Town South Africa invites applicants for medium scale research grants (of up to £9000 each) for experienced individuals working in the field of health care financing in East and Southern Africa. Interested participants are encouraged to submit proposals for the development of country level case studies and to undertake research on a particular area of resource mobilisation or mechanisms for strengthening cross-subsidies in the overall health system.
Further details: /newsletter/id/31427
Contact: admin@equinetafrica.org