Equity and the Expansion of Access to Treatment and Care for HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa: Report of a workshop at ICASA

The Regional Network for Equity in Health in Southern Africa (EQUINET) and Oxfam GB with government and civil society partners have since early 2003 initiated a programme of research and analysis in support of policy and advocacy focusing on HIV/AIDS and equity in health sector responses. The programme has held and reported on an expert review panel, has initiated country research in four southern African countries on equity in health sector responses (Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa), and with support from DfID regional analyses of specific health equity concerns related to HIV/AIDS, covering issues such as health personnel, nutritional interventions, and gender equity in health sector responses(see www.equinetafrica.org). A, EQUINET/Oxfam GB workshop was held at the ICASA conference with support from UNAIDS and DfID giving feedback on the work done in the programme. It presented evidence gathered from country case studies from Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa and from the SADC region from work on nutrition and HIV/AIDS. It used this evidence to explore options for safeguarding equity AND improving access to treatment and for strengthening equity in health sector responses to AIDS from global to national level. The workshop was facilitated by D McCoy for EQUINET/Oxfam GB. This report summarises the proceedings of the workshop. It was prepared by D McCoy and edited by the EQUINET secretariat at TARSC.