Global Equity Gauge Alliance

Abstract

The lack of attention to equity in health, health care and determinants of health is a burden to the attainment of good health in many countries. With this underlying problem as a basis, a series of meetings took place between 1999 and 2000, culminating in the creation the Global Equity Gauge Alliance (GEGA). GEGA is an international network of groups in developing countries, mainly Asia, Africa and Latin America, which develop projects designed to confront and mitigate inequities in health, know as Equity Gauges. Equity Gauges aim to contribute towards the sustained decline in inequities in both the broad sociopolitical determinants of health, as well as inequities in the health system. Their approach is based on three broad spheres of action, known as “pillars”: 1) measurement and monitoring, 2) advocacy, and 3) community empowerment. Through a series of examples from local or national level gauges, this paper showcases their work promoting the interaction between research and evidence-based policy formulation and implementation, and the interaction between the community and policy makers. (Promotion & Education, 2007, (2): pp 107-108)