GEGA's GLOBAL AGENDA
Parliamentary Alliances for Health Equity in Southern Africa

Until now, direct parliamentary support to strengthen equity-sensitive decision-making has been an ongoing activity only in the South African Gauge. Due to the success of this approach and the opportunities presented by new governmental administrations in some countries, other Gauges are taking up this activity. The experiences of the South African Gauge suggest that parliamentary support has several advantages as a strategic activity for promoting equity: it supports capacity building for applying an equity lens to policy; it helps to institutionalise equity considerations in decision-making; it provides a relatively inexpensive, direct line to decision-makers; it actively keeps equity issues on the political agenda; and it builds positive and ongoing relationships with legislators. Other benefits include support for good governance, transparency and accountability, and representation of communities' interests in government. Both Zambia and Nairobi plan to strengthen their ties with Parliamentary Portfolio Committees on Health. Planning has begun, and initial activities should begin within several months.