The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare and Training and Research Support Centre/ EQUINET hosted a one day meeting on Thursday 23rd February in Harare to report on and review the findings of the 2011 Zimbabwe Equity Watch; involve health and non health sector actors in identifying priorities and actions to strengthen equity in universal health coverage and action on the social determinants of health; and propose how to institutionalise health equity monitoring. The meeting involved 52 delegates from different sectors of government, parliament, civil society, private sector, technical institutions and international organisations. The meeting identified a number of recommendations and areas of follow up action flowing from the discussions on the Equity Watch report and the presentations in the plenary and parallel sessions that are presented in the report. Stakeholders endorsed equity as a guiding principle for UHC, as well as health in all policies. They called for strengthened consistent co-ordination of the institutions and agencies that influence the determinants of health and delivery on UHC. It was proposed that the Equity Watch be institutionalized and repeated in future with the involvement of other sectors, with indicators also identified for annual monitoring in the routine information system. Specific additional areas for equity analysis were identified.
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This call is for applicants for grants for policy research into global health diplomacy, and particularly in relation to the manner in which African interests around equitable health systems are being advanced through health diplomacy. Applicants are invited to indicate their capacities and proposals for implementing the work in ONE of the three areas:
1. On the reflection of African interests and issues around equitable health systems in the stages of motivating, negotiating, implementing, monitoring and reporting of the WHO Code on international Recruitment of health personnel.
2. On collaborations on access to essential drugs through south- south relationships with China, Brazil and India, particularly in relation to medicines production, distribution and regulation across countries within the ESA region, the alignment with and outcomes for national health systems, regional and global health diplomacy processes and the lessons learned for health diplomacy.
3. On the involvement of African actors in global health governance, particularly in relation to the participation, issues raised, outcomes and thus influence of African state and non-state actors on the decision making processes in the WHO and Global Fund, particularly on universal access to prevention, treatment and care for HIV and AIDS, and the lessons for health diplomacy.
Visit the website for information on the work, the grant call and the necessary information to include in the applications.
The Equity Watch monitors progress in areas of equity in health, household access to the resources for health, equitable health systems and global justice. This report provides evidence on the performance of Kenya's public policies and systems in promoting and attaining equity in health using the Equity Watch framework. The evidence presented in this report indicates progress towards closing geographical, rural–urban, wealth and other social disparities in some health outcomes, such as in immunisation coverage, access to primary education, contraceptive use, access to antiretrovirals and access to safe sanitation. Nevertheless, other areas are reported on that have made less progress or now have wider differentials. The report suggests that the health care system cannot make progress on its own. It will be difficult to achieve health equity unless we also address the social and economic determinants of health. However the health sector does also play a role. For example, the report shows the progress made in areas where health workers have been capacitated suggesting that the role health workers play in health equity needs more attention and support.
The Health Economics Unit (University of Cape Town, South Africa) has a new Facebook page. The Unit conducts research in health economics, health policy & health systems, offers Master's and PhD training and facilitates regional and international academic and policy networking. The Unit is particularly interested in using their research to influence health policy and practice. You can follow the Unit on Facebook to see their regular updates, post on their wall and communicate with them about health care issues.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel was adopted by the 63rd World Health Assembly in May 2010 in response to the intensifying movement of health workers, especially from low to high income countries. This movement of health workers aggravates inequity, particularly with regard to the number of health workers relative to health need. The WHO Code is a voluntary ethical framework. This policy brief looks at the developments in Sub-Saharan Africa since the adoption of this code with regards to its implementation. It presents the activities required to monitor its implementation and what actions have so far been implemented.
This publication reports from stakeholders the information and knowledge gaps and research priorities on global health diplomacy (GHD) in Africa to inform regional discussion on a research agenda for GHD. The findings indicate that research on GHD should identify factors that support the effectiveness of GHD in addressing selected key challenges to health strengthening systems in Eastern and Southern Africa, in a way that strengthens the capacity of key African policy actors and stakeholders within processes of health diplomacy. . The findings indicate a preference from officials and policy makers to do this in three broad areas: i. Firstly, to explore the implementation of existing global commitments in the region, to learn lessons from the current experience, generate evidence for input to monitoring and review of the commitments, and to inform future health negotiations. ii. Secondly, to explore the extent to which African interests are advanced in areas under global health negotiation, to assess the implications, costs and benefits of specific issues for the diverse countries in the region, and the different negotiating positions of countries in and beyond the region. iii. Thirdly to explore how effectively interests in the region are being represented in the current global architecture and governance, including of the global initiatives that fund health, to inform African engagement on global governance reforms.
The Equity Watch monitors progress in areas of equity in health, household access to the resources for health, equitable health systems and global justice. This report provides evidence on the performance of Uganda’s public policies and systems in promoting and attaining equity in health using the Equity Watch framework. The evidence presented in this report indicates progress in some key areas, such as in closing social and geographical gaps in access to education, safe water, immunisation and other areas of primary health care. It also highlights challenges, including in coverage of maternal health services and in the distribution of health workers.
At the World Conference on the Social Determinants of Health, held in Rio de Janiero Brazil from 19-21 October 2011, reports from countries indicated a promising range of actions being taken to assess or monitor equity and the social determinants of health (SDH), measures to plan and review action on SDH, as well as actions to strengthen constitutional protection of the right to health and to strengthen intersectoral action and comprehensive primary health care. However, few countries reported on actions on economic determinants, and countries that have regulated commercial interests for public health reasons, such as introducing taxes on foods high in fat or sugars, or in implementing legal controls over tobacco, allege they have faced counter litigation from companies. Despite persuasive evidence, health equity has been a marginal consideration in trade, economic or climate forums. Public health advocates argue that equity should be included at the centre of wider economic, trade and development agendas, including the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 (Rio+20) and the UN Millennium Development Goals. While a task force of UN agencies was set at the WCSDH, key economic and trade agencies were not present.
This report updates the 2008 Zimbabwe Equity Watch report using a framework developed by EQUINET in cooperation with the eastern, central and southern African health community and in consultation with WHO and UNICEF. The report introduces the context and the evidence within four major areas: equity in health, household access to the resources for health, equitable health systems and global justice. It shows past levels (1980–2005), current levels (most current data publicly available) and comments on the level of progress towards health equity. The 2011 Equity Watch indicates that improvements have been made in priority areas identified in the 2008 Equity Watch report, such as in primary education, in supplies of medicines and staff to primary care and district levels, in immunisation coverage, in access to antiretrovirals, and in recognition and support of community capacities for health. Nevertheless, the report shows that poverty and inequality in wealth remain high. Economic inequality affects access to key inputs to health, like improved incomes or safe water and the uptake of health services.
In recent years there has been increased private for-profit health sector activity in certain countries in East and Southern Africa. External funders and governments have subsidised some of these activities. Private ‘high-end’ hospitals have begun to service wealthy groups, even in very low income countries. A report published in 2007 by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) encouraged governments to facilitate further private sector growth. This policy brief explores these developments in East and Southern Africa. In contrast to the IFC report, it raises concerns about the adverse consequences of growth in the private for-profit sector, and proposes steps that Ministries of Health should take to protect the integrity and equity of their health systems.