Call closes April 3rd 2012
Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET)
How can African policymakers engage in global health diplomacy to achieve more equitable health systems and better population health? What factors have supported effective negotiation of African policy goals on health systems within health diplomacy? The Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) is a network of professionals, civil society members, policy makers, state officials, parliamentarians and others within 16 countries in east and Southern Africa, who have come together to promote and realise shared values of equity and social justice in health (see www.equinetafrica.org). In 2012 EQUINET is initiating a three year policy research programme working with government officials in health and diplomacy, with technical institutions, civil society and other stakeholders in ESA countries. This research programme will examine the role of global health diplomacy (GHD) in addressing selected key challenges to health and strengthening health systems and use the evidence and learning to inform African policy actors and stakeholders within processes of health diplomacy. Health diplomacy has been defined as the policy-shaping processes through which states, intergovernmental organizations, and non-state actors negotiate responses to health challenges, or utilize health concepts or mechanisms in policy-shaping and negotiation strategies to achieve other political, economic, or social objectives. 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 below
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. Although applicants may apply for more than one of the case studies above, they should do so in a separate application for each area. The successful teams will only be accepted to work on ONE case study area; therefore, the programme will have three teams, one for each of the three case study areas. If the teams within one institution are composed of totally different individuals, they will be regarded as two separate teams. 2 Teams accepted for the case study area will be provided with a grant for their work of up to US$ 60 000 including travel and per diem for field work. In EACH of the three areas each area the case study team will work with a small advisory group of policy and technical advisors. The protocols are also expected to include review and organization of background evidence; stakeholder and policy analysis; key informant inputs, internal and external peer review and policy dialogue. Teams will be supported through programme wide processes, including a background review of methods, a methods workshop, technical and peer review, a results review workshop, and editing and publications support of papers produced and communication with regional processes. Two members of each successful team will attend a methods workshop in June 2012 to work with relevant expertise to review and develop the research design. The three case study designs will be finalized after peer review in August 2012. The case study work will be conducted between August 2012 and September 2013. EQUINET is feeding this work into regional processes, including the Strategic Initiative of Global Health Diplomacy co-ordinated by the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community and into global processes with the Global Health Diplomacy Network (GHDNET). The programme is supported by IDRC (Canada).
Applications: The application should be made jointly by the applicant and the institution that they are affiliated to. The applicant may work as a consortium of institutions, and are encouraged to do so if this strengthens their capacities or coverage. Consortia are asked to make clear which one of the partners is their lead institution and individual. Consortia may include institutions from all regions, but the grantee for the work in a consortium must be an institution in the East and Southern Africa region.
Applicants are expected to show experience in health policy and health systems, in international relations and political economy / political science and to show evidence of work and links to policy processes related to health equity and health diplomacy in Africa, particularly in the subject area of the case study. Those active in EQUINET work are encouraged to apply.
The proposals must be submitted by 3rd April 2012 and the feedback will be provided by April 20th 2012. Successful applicants will be expected to attend a regional methods workshop, to be held on June 4th and 5th in Johannesburg South Africa. Applications must include all of the following to be considered
*¤ A proposal in no more than six pages for the case study research setting out the specific issues to be addressed in the exploration of the case study, The policy processes, forums, events to be covered; the methods to be used and analysis to be implemented, specific countries or key informants to be included, the institution through which ethical clearances will be obtained and how the applicant will use the results;
* A CV of the lead applicant and name, brief profile, full contact information and url of the institution;
*¤ The names, institutions, contact information, qualifications and roles in the work of any other members, if the application is from a consortium;
* The reference list of materials published by the applicant (including members of the consortium) directly relevant to the area of the case study;
* Confirmation of availability to attend the June methods workshop if successful
Applications should be submitted to admin@equinetafrica.org with GHD GRANTS in the subject line by 4pm 3rd April 2012.
For further information, please visit
www.equinetafrica
or contact:
EQUINET Secretariat, TARSC
Box CY2720,
Harare, Zimbabwe
mailto:admin@equinetafrica.org with GHD GRANTS QUERY in the subject line.