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This report presents the proceedings of a meeting held on March 13 and 14 a regional meeting was convened with objectives to
i. Present and discuss the findings from the EQUINET research programme and from related research in Africa, and the implications for policy, negotiations and programmes in east and southern Africa;
ii. Review methods and challenges for implementing research and analysis on global health diplomacy for policy relevance, from review of research and experience of the work;
iii. Discuss and propose areas for follow up policy, action and research, within ESA and through south-south collaboration. It included senior officials involved in health from national and regional organisations, health diplomats, researchers from the EQUINET work and others working on health diplomacy and on south-south co-operation in the region and internationally.

In 2012 EQUINET initiated a three year policy research programme working with government officials, researchers, diplomats and others in the ESA region on the role of health diplomacy and international co-operation in health, including south –south diplomacy, in addressing selected key challenges to health and strengthening health systems. We aimed to use the evidence and learning to inform African policy actors and stakeholders within processes of health diplomacy. The work was done in association with the Strategic Initiative of Global Health Diplomacy co-ordinated by the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC). The research reports and policy briefs have been produced and are included in the EQUINET publications on this website. A March 2015 workshop included senior officials from national and regional organisations, health diplomats, researchers from the EQUINET work and others working on health diplomacy and on south-south co-operation in the region and internationally. The workshop discussed the evidence from the EQUINET research and from research on GHD from other institutions with a particular focus on east and southern Africa and proposed areas for follow up policy, action and research, within ESA and through south-south collaboration. The meeting report is on this website. EQUINET is now taking forward the proposals from this meeting in association with a consortium of institutions in the region, and is working with the ECSA Health Community in its Strategic initiative on global health diplomacy to share evidence and analysis for key global processes, including in the forthcoming regional workshop on GHD hosted by the ECSA HC with EQUINET.

In the 21st century there is a growing demand to channel collective energy towards justice and equity in health, and to better understand the social processes that influence health and health systems. Communities, rontline health workers and other grass-roots actors play a key role in responding to this demand, in raising critical questions, building new knowledge and provoking and carrying out action to transform health systems and improve health. There is a widening array of methods, tools and capacities – old and new – to increase social participation and power in generating new knowledge through participatory research. At the same time, we need to be clear about exactly what participatory research is and what it can offer. This reader promotes understanding of the term ‘participatory action research’ (PAR) and provides information on its paradigms, methods, application and use, particularly in health policy and systems. This version of the reader is in Spanish. It was produced through the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET), with Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (AHPSR) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada. The result of team work, the reader draws on experience and published work from all regions globally and explains:
• key features of participatory action research and the history and knowledge paradigms that inform it;
• processes and methods used in participatory action research, including innovations and developments in the field and the ethical and methods issues in implementing it; and
• communication, reporting, institutionalization and use of participatory action research in health systems.

This report documents work undertaken in Cassa Banana Community from February – July 2014. The programme aimed to use Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) methodologies in working with members of Cassa Banana to work with a representation of community members and health providers/authorities to explore and document the health challenges faced by the Casa Banana community and to formulate actions to solve these health challenges. The project also sought to support community action in demanding accountability from the relevant duty bearers in the formulation and delivery of health services, and to strengthen community/stakeholder engagement for the provision of people-centered Primary Health Care services to the Casa Banana community.