The Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) is implementing a three year policy research programme to address selected challenges to health and strengthening health systems within processes of global health diplomacy (GHD). In the June 2012 inception workshop for the programme, delegates called for a paper that explains the concepts and emergence of global health diplomacy, the different approaches being taken in GHD, including African approaches. Given the de facto rise in health diplomacy, this paper explores questions on GHD, to inform debate and dialogue in Africa on raising health within global diplomacy. The authors briefly present the roots and emergence of GHD, and the debates on raising public health within global diplomacy. They outline how the concepts of and approaches to GHD differ across countries and regions. They explore the perspectives that have informed diplomacy in Africa, and ask what this means for African engagement in GHD, and for public health in Africa. At various points in this paper they raise questions on what implications the developments described have for health diplomacy in Africa. Given the limitations of documented evidence on African approaches or analysis of health diplomacy from an African lens, it is difficult to draw conclusions. The authors thus raise questions that they hope will provoke dialogue, debate and response.
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The Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) is implementing a three year policy research programme to address selected challenges to health and strengthening health systems within processes of global health diplomacy (GHD). In the June 2012 inception workshop for the programme, delegates called for a paper that explains the concepts and emergence of global health diplomacy, the different approaches being taken in GHD, including African approaches. Given the de facto rise in health diplomacy, this paper explores questions on GHD, to inform debate and dialogue in Africa on raising health within global diplomacy. The authors briefly present the roots and emergence of GHD, and the debates on raising public health within global diplomacy. They outline how the concepts of and approaches to GHD differ across countries and regions. They explore the perspectives that have informed diplomacy in Africa, and ask what this means for African engagement in GHD, and for public health in Africa. At various points in this paper they raise questions on what implications the developments described have for health diplomacy in Africa. Given the limitations of documented evidence on African approaches or analysis of health diplomacy from an African lens, it is difficult to draw conclusions. The authors thus raise questions that they hope will provoke dialogue, debate and response.
International evidence shows that, if left unregulated, the for-profit health sector may lead to distortions in the quantity, distribution and quality of health services, as well as anti-competitive behaviour. As the for-profit private sector appears to be expanding in east and southern African (ESA) countries, governments need to strengthen regulations to ensure that the for-profit sector does not undermine national health system objectives. This report examines how existing regulation provides for objectives such as the quantity, quality, distribution and price of health care services and suggests priorities for strengthening legal frameworks in 16 countries in east and southern Africa. It draws on a desk-based review of legislation accessed through the internet or from in-country researchers and interviews with in-country experts.
By 2050, urban populations in Africa will increase to 62%. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Habitat in their 2010 report ‘Hidden Cities’ note that this growth in the urban population constitutes one of the most important global health issues of the 21st century. In 2016-2018, Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) in the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) explored the social distribution of health in urban areas and the opportunities for and practices promoting urban health and well-being. It focused on youth 15-24 years of age as an important group for both current and future well-being. The paper synthesises and reports evidence from a programme of work that unfolded iteratively over two years. The work involved desk reviews of published literature and analysis of data from international databases for east and southern African countries, and international evidence on practices supporting urban well-being in areas prioritised by urban youth. The findings were subject to cycles of participatory review and validation by young people from diverse urban settings and socio-economic groups in Harare and Lusaka. These methods were applied with an intention to draw on different disciplines, concepts and variables from different sectors and on the lived experience and perceptions of the youth directly affected by different urban conditions. Separate publications produced in the project give more detail on particular methods, and findings and are cited in this paper. A series of dissemination and dialogue activities have been carried out with youth, local authority and policy actors, supported by shorter briefs and technical reports.
This desk review, commissioned by EQUINET through TARSC as part of the ongoing work on the extractive sector in the region aims to inform public sector professionals, policy-makers, civil society and parliamentarians on the population health impacts of large- and small-scale mining activities in East and Southern Africa. The paper specifies the known health risks for the different types of small- and large-scale mines in the ESA region. Poor communities are likely to be more affected as they have limited choices for employment, sub-optimal housing and limited access to safe drinking water. People living close to mining sites or near mine dumps and those whose livelihoods are tied to rivers for domestic and agriculture water are exposed to polluted environments due to mining wastes and contaminated air and drinking water. Discrepancies exist between what is documented and known about the health risks of mining globally and documented levels of these health outcomes in the ESA region. The author presents various reasons for this. Health impacts assessments are not always done before mines are licensed. After mines are licensed, these health outcomes may be poorly monitored. Information on the numbers and health status many living and working in mining and of ex-miners remains limited.
By 2050, urban populations in Africa will increase to 62%. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UN-Habitat in their 2010 report ‘Hidden Cities’ note that this growth in the urban population constitutes one of the most important global health issues of the 21st century. In 2016-2018, Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) in the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) explored the social distribution of health in urban areas and the opportunities for and practices promoting urban health and well-being. It focused on youth 15-24 years of age as an important group for both current and future well-being. The paper synthesises and reports evidence from a programme of work that unfolded iteratively over two years. The work involved desk reviews of published literature and analysis of data from international databases for east and southern African countries, and international evidence on practices supporting urban well-being in areas prioritised by urban youth. The findings were subject to cycles of participatory review and validation by young people from diverse urban settings and socio-economic groups in Harare and Lusaka. These methods were applied with an intention to draw on different disciplines, concepts and variables from different sectors and on the lived experience and perceptions of the youth directly affected by different urban conditions. Separate publications produced in the project give more detail on particular methods, and findings and are cited in this paper. A series of dissemination and dialogue activities have been carried out with youth, local authority and policy actors, supported by shorter briefs and technical reports.
The 13th Southern African Civil Society Forum was held from 14-17 August 2017 at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre Johannesburg, organised by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Council of Non government organisations (CNGO), Southern African Trade Union Co-ordinating Council (SATUCC) and Federation of Churches in Southern Africa (FOCISA). It involved about 300 delegates from different constituencies and civil society organisations across the SADC region. A commission session was convened by EQUINET and SATUCC within the 13th Southern African Civil Society Forum to share information on the findings and proposals for harmonised regional standards on health in the extractive sector. The session objectives were to discuss the key issues and formulate concrete strategies for responding to the regional context and priority challenges for protection of health in the extractive sector in the region and to make proposals for harmonised regional standards to protect health in the sector. Delegates recommended that health be included in the SADC harmonised standards for the mining sector, with a comprehensive focus on public health and environment, with details of what this means and actions proposed at national, regional and local level.
The 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) adopted by member states in the World Health Organization (WHO) require that all countries have the ability to detect, assess, report and respond to potential public health emergencies of international concern at all levels of government, and to report such events rapidly to the WHO to determine whether a coordinated, global response is required. Recent epidemics have strengthened the demand to improve the capacities to implement the IHR and the effectiveness of health system prevention and detection of and responses to epidemics. Evidence from ESA countries suggests that this demands effective communication between local levels of health systems and national responses, and capacities for prevention, detection and response at community, primary care and district level. In 2016 two new global financing mechanisms were introduced to support emergency responses, the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE), that aims to fill the gap from the beginning of a declared emergency and a World Bank Pandemic Emergency Facility (PEF), to support follow up measures after initial CFE funding. This report provides information on the new CFE and PEF financing mechanisms, to explore any stated or implied links with the IHR goals and health system strengthening in the response to emergencies. It is based on a desk review of available literature by the University of Sheffield and the Training and Research Support Centre, under the umbrella of EQUINET. The report aims to inform African policy-makers and stakeholders about the CFE and PEF financial mechanisms and their relationship to the IHR to locate areas where links could be more explicitly made between the new financial mechanisms, the IHR and the health system strengthening needed for longer-term preparedness for and prevention of emergencies.
This information sheet aims to assist by bringing together information and links to resources from various sources on a range of issues related to COVID-19 covering: 1: Basic information on the virus and its health impact 2: The level and growth of the pandemic 3: What individuals and communities can do to prevent and respond to COVID-19 4: What workplaces and organisations can do to prevent and respond to COVID-19 5: Protection and support of health and other frontline workers 6: What countries are doing to prevent and respond to COVID-19. While the specific focus intends to be on east and southern Africa, this first information sheet provides information drawn from other regions and more mature epidemics that may be useful for those in the ESA region or that may raise issues to discuss and plan for in the region.
This is the second information brief from EQUINET to summarise and provides links to official, scientific and other resources as of April 1st 2020 to support an understanding of and individual to regional level responses to COVID-19. This brief complements and does not substitute information from your public health authorities. This brief covers: 1: Developments in the COVID-19 epidemic 2: The health system response 3: Policy, politics and rights 4: Support for and in different communities 5: The macro-economic challenges 6: What does this all mean for equity?