Training and Research Support Centre

Training and Research Support Centre (TARSC) provides training, research and support services to state and civil society organisations at national and international levels. TARSC is a learning and knowledge organization, with a particular focus on skills building, research and technical support and a commitment to long term capacity building in the public sector and in civil society.

Participatory Action Research TARSC with EQUINET, IDRC Canada and Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research has produced a methods reader on participatory action research (PAR) that draws on examples and experiences globally. The reader is available in English and in Spanish. In 2017-2019 TARSC implemented with Maldaba UK and institutions in EQUINETs pra4equity network a programme to build and use a web platform to implement cross country PAR work online. The work was implemented in primary care sites with communities and frontline health workers in six countries in east and southern Africa. Youll find the PARonline report and briefs from the work on the EQUINET website For further information contact us with ‘PAR web platform’ in the subject line at admin@tarsc.org and please provide your name and institution with your query or comment.

Fostering policy support for family and child health and wellbeing- learning from international experience TARSC in association with University of Aberdeen and with support from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Global ideas fund has led cross country research in 2019 to gather and share evidence and learning on what has led to a change in policy norms and produced increased policy recognition of family and child health and wellbeing (FCHW) in high, middle and low-income countries internationally. There are fourteen case study reports that cover diverse policy changes in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Norway, Peru, Rwanda, South Africa (one on the Childrens Act and one on integrated school health services), Sweden, England and Vietnam. A synthesis of the learning and strategic drivers of policy change is now available online and you will find all case studies and reports on a webpage for the work on the Shaping health site. For further information contact us with ‘Policy analysis’ in the subject line at admin@tarsc.org and please provide your name and institution with your query or comment.

Shaping Health: Social power and participation in health TARSC led cross country research on experiences of building social power and participation in local health systems in different countries globally. A conceptual framework paper and an annotated bibliography prepared in the project are available on this site. Short case studies have been produced from local health systems in Australia, Canada, Ecuador, India, Zambia and Vanuatu, summarised in a volume on these experiences. The Ecuador case study is also available in Spanish. Deeper scan country case studies have been produced from Brazil, Chile, Kenya, New Zealand, Scotland and Slovenia with a further volume summarising these experiences. Exchanges are underway on the findings from the work and a synthesis paper on the findings across the work is available in English and in Spanish. A ‘Shaping health’ website presents all products of the research and the stories of change that reflect the key principles for working on social participation and power in health.

Global Health Diplomacy TARSC has co-ordinated an international programme exploring the role of global health diplomacy (GHD), including south –south diplomacy, in addressing selected key challenges to health and strengthening health systems working with institutions in EQUINET and has since 2016 co-operated with SEATINI in EQUINET and with the ECSA Health Community to discuss the research findings and issues on the World Health Assembly agenda and build regional capacities in GHD. The research has also been published in a special issue of the Journal for Health Diplomacy on Africa.

Latest Activities

POLICY ANALYSIS ON COVID, COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTHY SOCIETIES TARSC implemented work in 2020 in association with the Alliance for Health Policy and Health Systems Research on the trajectory of different paradigms used to promote healthy societies at global level and in different regions globally. A report on the work Achieving healthy societies – ideas and learning from diverse regions for shared futures is available on this site. TARSC has worked on a range of publications in 2020 on COVID-19 and public health that you will find on the  EQUINET website. Interested persons should contact admin@tarsc.org and give full name and institution and how you would like to link on this work.

Latest TARSC Publications

Haciendo Visible el Cambio Evaluación de los Esfuerzos para Fomentar la Participación Social en la Salud
(January 2023)
Types of work: Participatory Action Research, Community Based Research, General Research, Training resources
Areas of work: Community and Public health
Country: Unknown Country
URL: MCV Resource Spanish 2022 for web.pdf
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Latest EQUINET Publications

REGIONAL MEETING May 23-24 2024 Nairobi Kenya: Strategies for tackling commercial determinants of health and for urban wellbeing in east and southern Africa
EQUINET; TARSC (2024)
Themes: Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Poverty and health, Public-private mix, Governance and participation in health
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: EQUINET regional meeting 2024 call.pdf
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Brief from Webinar 5: 28 February 2024 Climate justice and health equity in extractives
EQUINET; SATUCC; TARSC (2024)
Themes: Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Public-private mix
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: Webinar 5 Extractives and Clmate Justice.pdf
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Masaka City stakeholders’ workshop on urban food, energy, water and waste: Workshop report
Gotto D, I4D (2024)
Themes: Health equity in economic and trade policies, Governance and participation in health
Country: Uganda
URL: UH I4D Masaka City Workshop Report Feb2024.pdf
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EQUINET Policy Brief 51: Health-related standards in Economic Partnership Agreements in East and Southern Africa
SEATINI, EQUINET (2024)
Themes: Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Governance and participation in health
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: EQ Pol Brief 51 EPA Mar24.pdf
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EQUINET Policy brief 50: Legal and policy frameworks governing business and human rights to health in east and southern Africa
CEHURD (2024)
Themes: Values, policies and rights, Health equity in economic and trade policies
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: PolBrief 50 business and health rights Feb2024.pdf
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Implementing eco-health impact assessment of extractives in east and southern Africa
SATUCC; EQUINET (2024)
Themes: Health equity in economic and trade policies, Governance and participation in health
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: SATUCC EQUINET AMI session report 2024.pdf
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Kampala City stakeholders’ workshop on urban food, energy, water and waste: Workshop report
Gotto D, I4D (2024)
Themes: Health equity in economic and trade policies, Governance and participation in health
Country: Uganda
URL: UH I4D Kampala Workshop Rep Feb2024.pdf
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Promoting comprehensive primary health care mental health interventions for young people: A Malawi case study
Chikaphupha K; Nanji N; Muhia J (2024)
Themes: Equitable health services, Governance and participation in health
Country: Malawi
URL: EQ REACH YMH Rep Feb2024.pdf
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Healthy urban food, waste management and energy systems:Lessons from scaling up the Longacres Market initiative
CPCR; TARSC; EQUINET (2024)
Themes: Equity in health, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Public-private mix, Governance and participation in health
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: UH CPCR casestudy research Feb2024.pdf
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The Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System: Bringing community voice and evidence to urban health in slum communities
Talk AB[M]R; TARSC; EQUINET (2024)
Themes: Equity in health, Health equity in economic and trade policies, Poverty and health, Governance and participation in health, Monitoring equity and research to policy
Country: East and southern Africa region
URL: UH NUDHSS Kenya Jan2024.pdf
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