In October 2007 EQUINET has produced a regional equity analysis that offers a comprehensive, yet accessible, resource presented through text, tables, figures, case studies, quotes and images. The evidence in this analysis points to three ways in which ‘reclaiming’ the resources for health can improve health equity:
• for poor people to claim a fairer share of national resources to improve their health;
• for a more just return for east and southernAfrican countries from the global economy to increase the resources for health; and
• for a larger share of global and national resources to be invested in redistributive health systems to overcome the impoverishing effects of ill health.
The book can be obtained from EQUINET by contacting admin@equinetafrica.org or through the publishers in the region, that is Weaver Press weaver@mweb.co.zw; Fountain Publishers (for East African region) sales@fountainpublishers.co.ug and Jacana (for South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland) sales@jacana.co.za.
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This report is of the proceedings of a training workshop on policy engagement and advocacy to promote health in trade agreements held in Bagamayo, Tanzania, August 31 and Sep 1 2007. The workshop covered general issues of trade and health, and a deeper review of TRIPS and use of TRIPS flexibilities, the EU-ESA EPA, and health services liberalisation.
The EQUINET Secretariat at Training and Research Support Centre with local hosts, REACH Trust (Malawi), invite personnel working on health equity in east and southern Africa to apply for participation for a capacity building workshop on “Writing scientific papers and peer reviewed journals” to be held in Lilongwe, Malawi from 20-24 October 2007. This workshop is designed to support capabilities for effective dissemination of research on health equity. The call closes on 3 September 2007.
This paper represents the first phase of a Canadian initiative on intersectoral action for health and provides an overview of approaches to intersectoral action at the global, sub-regional, national, sub-national, and community levels. It is intended to contribute to the World Health Organisation’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (SDH) and is the result of collaboration between EQUINET, the Health Systems Knowledge Network of the Commission on SDH and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Experiences documented by academics, policy-makers and practitioners in more than 15 countries are examined in an attempt to improve understanding of questions relating to: the types of problems addressed through intersectoral action (IA); the conditions that shape horizontal and interjurisdictional collaboration; tools, mechanisms and approaches to support IA; and roles played by the health sector and other actors.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the interface between HIV and AIDS and food and nutrition security, and the policy and programme implications for a comprehensive strategy to address these issues synergistically. Specifically, this paper examines and compares the policies and programmes related to HIV and AIDS and food and nutrition security that are currently in place in three Eastern Africa countries (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) and three Southern Africa countries (Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe) and concludes with elements of a comprehensive approach. This paper is based on a desk review of exisiting policies and programs in each of the six study countries. In addition, key informat interviews were conducted with persons from various government departments, United Nations (UN) agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
An Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is being negotiated between east and southern African countries (ESA) and the European Union (EU). The final agreement is due to be signed in December 2007. The EPA is likely to impact on health, on public revenues for health and health care, including access to medicines, and to affect other inputs to health such as food security. Without a proper health impact assessment these impacts are not easily quantified and ESA countries are urged to take a precautionary approach and safeguard health in the EPA. This policy brief outlines the ways in which the EPA may affect health and the measures that ESA can take to protect health within the EPA. While it is focused on the EU-ESA EPA, these impacts and measures have wider general relevance to trade.
SEATINI with TARSC under the EQUINET umbrella are carrying out work on the health and trade theme. This work involves skills building, research and information exchange on the effects of trade agreements on health. Within this programme SEATINI / TARSC in EQUINET will host a training workshop on policy engagement and advocacy to promote health in trade agreements in Bagamayo, Tanzania, 31 August 31 and 1 September 2007. The workshop will cover general issues of trade and health, and a deeper review of TRIPS and use of TRIPS flexibilities, the EU-ESA EPA, and health services liberalisation. It will include 2 people from each of the following countries: Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, one each from health and trade backgrounds. Interested applicants from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are asked to send in by July 3 2007 to the EQUINET secretariat admin@equinetafrica.org and copy to percy@seatini.org.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Regional Network on Equity in Health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET), in co-operation with the East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) are calling for expressions of interest from researchers in Kenya to undertake a baseline study entitled Managing the Migration of Human Resources for Health in Kenya: the Impact on Health Service Delivery. This will be a detailed review and critical analysis on the impact of the migration of health workers on health service delivery. Further details are available on the EQUINET website.
The paper reviewed evidence from published and grey (English language) literature on the use of non-financial incentives for health worker retention in sixteen countries in east and southern Africa (ESA): Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There is a growing body of evidence on health worker issues in ESA countries, but few studies on the use of incentives for retention, especially in under-served areas.
This report examines two case studies of school feeding schemes in South Africa and Malawi, viz the Primary School Nutrition Programme (PSNP) established in South Africa in 1994 and the World Feeding Program (WFP) feeding schemes in Malawi, in the context of policy outlined by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The report notes that school feeding programmes largely take the form of a vertical intervention programme, rather than a comprehensive nutritional programme, weakening their likely sustained impact on children's nutritional status.