Healthcare can be neither universal nor equitable if it is less accessible to some sections of society than it is to others. EquitAble’s focus on activity limitations in Africa will provide data that is crucial to enable universal and equitable access to healthcare in resource poor areas. The project aims to provide the disability sector with data to develop evidence-based advocacy; government ministries with opportunities to implement evidence-based policy decisions; and service providers with data to enact evidence-based practice. However, this project will go beyond making recommendations and producing guidelines; it will address the process of bridging the evidence-policy-practice gaps, by identifying barriers and facilitators for the implementation of our research findings thus enabling the project to have a real impact.

EquitAble’s primary objectives are to:

1. Conduct an assessment of existing international, European Union and African country-level policies on universal and equitable access to health care with particular reference to people with activity limitations.
2. Undertake research into users’ and providers’ perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to equitable and universal access to health care in Sudan, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa.
3. Examine the relationship between access to health care services and activity limitations, and other mediating or interacting variables, in Sudan, Namibia, Malawi and South Africa.
4. Provide test sites for forthcoming measures of activity limitations that have been developed through extensive international consultation
5. Make recommendations and create guidelines in support of effective and coherent health policy, at both country and international level, that promotes equitable and universal access to healthcare for people with activity limitations
6. Explore and address barriers to implementing recommendations and guidelines across the four project countries

EquitAble consists of five work packages:

Timeframe for the project:

• 2010-2013

Contact:

• Project Coordinator: Trinity College Dublin, Centre for Global Health
  Project Manager: Prof. Malcolm MacLachlan
  Project Officer: Dr. Hasheem Mannan