Multilateral cooperation between Europe, Africa and Latin America on public health & health services research (MASCOT)

Background

Inequalities and vulnerable groups’ health, as well as the slow advances to achieve the health-related Millennium Development Goals, are concerns that need to be addressed, notably for low and middle-income countries. While some countries have made advances, these remain unknown to other ones which could still benefit from their experience.

Objectives

MASCOT aims to create links efforts in addressing maternal and child health (MCH) and health inequalities in low and middle income countries. The main objective of the MASCOT project is to stimulate the cooperation between countries from 3 world regions (Europe, Africa, and Latin America) in order to identify and implement adequate and efficient country-specific strategies for tackling health inequalities preferentially affecting children, adolescents and mothers.

Partnerships

The consortium members are as follows:

Council on Health Research for Development (Switzerland); Euroquality (France); Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovacao (Portugal); Fundacion Instituto Centroamericano de Salud Internacional (Costa Rica); Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica (Mexico); Universidad Catolica de la Santisima Concepcion (Chile); Centre for Health Policy, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa); National Institute for Medical Research (Tanzania); School of Public Health, University of Ghana (Ghana); Health Action Partnership International (United Kingdom); Hopital Farhat Hached de Sousse (Tunisia).

Capacity Building

A core component of this project is the enhancement of regional and local infrastructure, capabilities and capacities of health research, as well as stimulation of knowledge transfer between partners to shape policies, programmes and health actions for better health and health services. In so doing, the project aims to reduce inequalities through strengthened collaborative actions.

Publications

Wabiri N, Chersich M, Zuma K, Blaauw D, Goudge J, Dwane N. Equity in Maternal Health in South Africa: Analysis of Health Service Access and Health Status in a National Household Survey. PLOS ONE, 8 (9): e73864

Footman K, Chersich M, Blaauw D, Campbell OMR, Dhana A, Kavanagh J, Dumbaugh M, Thwala S, Bijlmakers L, Vargas E, Kern E, Becerra F, Penn-Kekana L. (2014) A systematic mapping of funders of maternal health intervention research 2000-2012. Globalization and Health; 10:72