Equity in HIV/AIDS, Health Sector Responses and Treatment Access ---------------------------------------------------------------- CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Southern African Regional Network on Equity in Health (EQUINET) in co-operation with OXFAM (GB) GRANTS/AWARDS: Technical paper and review meetings on EQUITY ISSUES IN HIV/AIDS, HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSES AND TREATMENT ACCESS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA This call closes on 24 January 2003 The Regional Network for Equity in Health in Southern Africa (EQUINET) and Oxfam GB are inviting expressions of interest from in- dividuals or organizations based within the region for a programme of work on Equity issues in HIV/AIDS, Health Sector Responses and Treat- ment Access in Southern Africa between February and July 2003. EQUINET and Oxfam seek to inform the policy debates and advocacy that have grown around health sector responses to HIV/AIDS in the region, particularly with respect to care and health sector responses and treatment access within the region. This work will be supported by a review panel of key personnel working on HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa and internationally, and will include 1. the commissioning of a technical paper, 2. the holding of a one day review meeting in February/March 2003 to review current knowledge and refine further the scope for the technical paper at regional and country level 3. peer review by the review panel of the paper produced and discus- sion of follow up work. CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST EQUINET and Oxfam are thus calling for expressions of interest from individuals or organizations based within the region to prepare the technical/research paper for this programme of work. The research paper will review evidence and make recommendations on: 1. Equity issues in current health sector responses in southern Af- rica to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the extent to which these are asso- ciated with increased/decreased risk of HIV infection or vulnerabil- ity to the impacts of HIV/AIDS. 2. The public policy choices now being faced and made in relation to the health sector response to the epidemic in southern Africa, with analysis of the equity implications of these policy options and of the choices currently proposed or being made. This will include a specific focus on treatment access policies and practice. 3. Recommendations for equitable public policy within the health sec- tor and mapping of the policy platforms and institutional agents that need to be engaged for such recommendations to be taken forward. The paper will be expected to provide information for the region from secondary sources, but to also provide more in-depth information from primary sources at country (and district) level from at least three countries within Southern Africa. Point (2) is the primary focus of the paper. Equinet/Oxfam will make available a grant for the work and travel funds of up to US$ 9,000 and will further support the costs of par- ticipation of the applicant at the one day review meeting in South Africa in February/March 2003. The paper is expected to be produced between March 2003 and July 2003. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST Applicants requested to submit a more detailed scope of work of no more than two pages based on the three points above, that outlines further the issues to be addressed within each point, the major sources of information and the countries to be covered through pri- mary sources. Applications should be accompanied by a CV. Applica- tions should also include or provide a URL for a sample of a previous paper written by the applicant. The application should give evidence of experience and competence in this area and of a conceptual understanding of the broad issues around which evidence will be presented. Applicants should submit this information by 24th January 2003 to Equinet Attn. R. Loewenson Tel./Fax: +263-4-737-220 mailto:admin@equinetafrica.org Applicants will be informed by 5th February 2003 if they have been successful. Successful applicants will be invited to attend the re- gional workshop provisionally scheduled for late February 2003 (with full funding from Equinet). Applicants must, therefore, be available to attend this workshop. Participants of existing Equinet programmes are welcome to apply.