EQUINET, the Regional Network on Equity in Health in Southern Africa, is a network of professionals, civil society members, policy makers, state officials and others within the region who have come together as an equity catalyst, to promote and realise shared values of equity and social justice in health.
EQUINET gathers people to overcome isolation, give voice and promote networking using bottom-up approaches built on shared values. We have come together in
a spirit of self determination and collective self reliance working through existing government, civil society, research and other mechanisms and institutions i
n the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and in southern and East Africa.
EQUINET is building a forum for dialogue, learning, sharing of information and experience and critical analysis. We do this to build knowledge and perspectiv
es, shape effective strategies, strengthen our voice nationally, regionally and globally and our strategic alliances to influence policy, politics and practice
towards health equity and social justice.
EQUINET's work covers a wide range of areas identified as priorities for health equity, within the political economy of health, health services and inputs to health, covered in the theme areas shown on this site. EQUINET is governed by a steering committee with representatives from fourteen institutions in southern Afr
ica and is co-ordinated at the Training and Research Support Centre Zimbabwe.
EQUINET CONFERENCE report on the website
The Third EQUINET Regional conference on equity in health in east and southern Africa was held in Munyonyo Uganda September 23-25 2009. The theme was "Reclaiming the Resources for Health" and the conference involved delegates from government, non state organisations, academic and research institutions, civil society, parliaments, regional and international organisations and other institutions promoting and working on equity in health in east and southern Africa!
WISHING YOU ALL PEACE, HEALTH AND JUSTICE IN THE NEW YEAR
The EQUINET steering committee wishes all a peaceful new year. To all those we have worked with in 2009 we express our thanks for a fruitful partnership as we continiue to advance the knowledge, action and advocacy to produce progress in health equity and justice for people in our region. We look forward to working together in 2010.
EQUITY WATCH: Monitoring progress in equity in health
Giving policy profile to health equity demands monitoring and measurement of how well we are doing. In follow up to the Regional Equity Analysis, EQUINET is now supporting work and networking to produce an Equity Watch in countries, that will
* track and engage on priority indicators of equity in health and health care
* monitor progress against commitments and goals,
* identify areas for research, advocacy
* critique and offer positive alternatives to negative influences and initiatives harmful of equity, and
* exchange information on promising practice.
A report of the regional methods meeting held to review the methods and progress markers for the watch was held in Cape Town in Deccember 2009 and you can read the report at http://www.equinetafrica.org/bibl/docs/EWmtg%20repNov09.pdf.
To champion those values, principles and systems that we have identified as central to reclaiming the resources for health, we have identified selected targets and indicators discussed in our analysis that reflect our progress in key dimensions of equity. We propose that these quantitative and qualitative targets and indicators be monitored and reported on by governments, parliaments and civil society within countries and across the ESA region to assess how well we are doing in implementing our commitments.
EQUINET invites feedback on these progress markers, and invites you to submit materials on health equity relevant to your country in east and southern Africa. Please let us know your institutional experience in this area. Please send any input, queries or requests for information to admin@equinetafrica.org with EQUITY WATCH in the subject line.
RECCOMENDATIONS OF THE REGIONAL REVIEW MEETING ON HEALTH WORKER RETENTION Namibia, February 25-27 2009
EQUINET in co-operation with ECSA-HC have, with government and researchers in five countries, carried out review and field studies on the implementation of incentives for health worker retention and of their impact on the adequacy and distribution of health workers. A regional meeting was held in February 2009 to review this work and other work on health worker migration and distribution in EQUINET in Windhoek Namibia, locally hosted by the University of Namibia. The recommendations of the meeting are shown below. For further information please contact us at admin@equinetafrica.org, using "HCW Retention" in the subject line.
Recommendations from the regional meeting on health worker retention in East and Southern Africa February 27 2009
The EQUINET –ECSA HC regional meeting on health worker retention in east and southern Africa (ESA) was held in Windhoek, Namibia February 25-27 2008 and involved 32 delegates from government, academic and research institutions, health worker organisations, parliament and civil society from 10 ESA countries and from regional organisations including SADC and WHO (see delegate list). In line with the ECSA Regional Health Ministers Conference (RHMC) resolutions 2006-2008, the SADC Resolutions on Health workers, and the ECSA and SADC strategies on health workers, the meeting reviewed evidence from two regional review papers, five country field studies (see reference list), a multi-country participatory research programme and delegate experience to propose areas for policy, guidelines and research on health worker retention, especially in priority health services. ... continued below
Participatory methods for people centred Health Systems, Regional Review Workshop Report September 2009 Training and Research Support Centre (2009) Themes: Equitable health services, Equity and HIV/AIDS, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy Country: East and southern Africa region URL:PRA mtg rep Sep09.pdf
Taking forward the Equity Watch in east and southern Africa: Report of a regional Methods Workshop Training and Research Support Centre; Healthnet Consult; EQUINET (2009) Themes: Equity in health, Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Human resources for health, Public-private mix, Resource allocation and health financing, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy URL:EWmtg repNov09.pdf
Meeting Report: Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in Eastern and Southern Africa: Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda, September 21 2009 PPD ARO; EQUINET; APHRC; SEAPACOH (2009) Themes: Governance and participation in health Country: Uganda URL:SEAPACOHRep Sep09.pdf
Conference report: Third EQUINET Regional Conference on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa Conference Report: 'Reclaiming the Resources for Health Building Universal People Centred Health Systems in East and Southern Africa Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) (2009) Themes: Equity in health, Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Equitable health services, Human resources for health, Resource allocation and health financing, Equity and HIV/AIDS, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy Country: East and southern Africa region URL:EQ Conf Report Sep 09.pdf
Public healthcare financing SABC Channel Africa; EQUINET; Workers World Media Productions (2009) Themes: Resource allocation and health financing Country: East and southern Africa region URL:alrpfinoct2009.mp3
Regional Workshop Report: Fair financing for health: mobilising domestic resources and managing commercialisation of health systems Health Economics Unit University of Cape Town; HealthNet Consult; EQUINET (2009) Themes: Resource allocation and health financing Country: East and southern Africa region URL:REPfinSEP09.pdf
Health policy analysis: Regional skills workshop report University of Cape Town; Centre for Health Policy; EQUINET (2009) Themes: Monitoring equity and research to policy Country: East and southern Africa region URL:REPpolicy220909.pdf
Writing skills for peer reviewed journals: Regional skills workshop report Training and Research Support Centre, EQUINET (2009) Themes: Monitoring equity and research to policy Country: East and southern Africa region URL:REPwriting260909.pdf
Commitments from the 2009 Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in Eastern and Southern Africa Southern and East African Parliamentary Alliance of Committees on Health; Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office; Regional Network on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa; African Population and Health Research Centre; (2009) Themes: Equity in health, Values, policies and rights, Equitable health services, Resource allocation and health financing, Equity and HIV/AIDS, Governance and participation in health Country: East and southern Africa region URL:RegParl mtg09 res.pdf
Resolutions for Action: The Third EQUINET Regional Conference on Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa EQUINET (2009) Themes: Equity in health, Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Equitable health services, Human resources for health, Public-private mix, Resource allocation and health financing, Equity and HIV/AIDS, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy Country: East and southern Africa region URL:CONF Res Sep09 for web.pdf