The EQUITY Projectwas designed by USAID and the National Department of Health (NDOH) as a collaborative approach to assist in the process of transforming health services, particularly to help address service disparities in the poorest provinces of the country.  The Project is a seven-year (1997-2003) partnership between USAID and DOH, implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH).

Recognising the need for comprehensive systems development to effectively manage decentralisation, the Project provides innovative solutions to long-standing health challenges through targeted management technical assistance, tool development, and lesson sharing.  By focusing its efforts on district health services in four provinces nationwide, the EQUITY Project is building local capacity to sustain quality health care programmes well into the future.

Since 1997, the Project has:

• Improved access to PHC services: 96% of ECP clinics now offer family planning services 5 days/week while 95% offer STD treatment 5 days/week.
• Enhanced management of supplies in medicines: almost 90% of ECP clinics are now using stock cards and stock outs of key indicator drugs have fallen by 30% since 1998.
• Improved use of information for management: 99% of health districts nationwide now collect monthly indicator data through the district health information system; the percentage of ECP clinics displaying key health data has increased from 29% in 1997 to 77% in 2002.
• Implemented tools for clinic supervision and quality management: more than 90% of clinic nurses are using on-the-job training to support PHC improvements in the ECP.
• Accelerated the implementation of the district health management system through management and leadership training of more than 200 members of district management teams.

To learn more about the EQUITY Project, or to download its tools and publications, please visit: www.equityproject.co.za