Assessing Uganda's Public Communications Campaign Strategy for Effective National Health Policy Awareness

This 6-page report, published in the Journal Media and Communication Studies, documents a study conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Ugandan government's national health policy communication campaign strategy related to issues such as HIV and AIDS and malaria. According to the study, despite the government's efforts in reaching out to people with health messages, the Ministry of Health has not developed any concrete communication strategy. In addition, the recommended changes in behaviour are not being seen, suggesting that the messages are not effectively reaching the intended audience. The study investigates the basis of good communication strategies and provides recommendations to the Ministry of Health on how to more effectively disseminate health messages in Uganda.

According to the report, a successful communications strategy must reach the audience, attract the audience's attention, present an understandable message, promote change, and produce a change in key behaviour for better health. Health communications campaigns should be driven by relevant communication theories and models, including a gendered understanding of the audience and involvement of local communities, local culture, and traditional communication media. Effective strategies should use the media to inform, educate, and entertain.

The study found that the national communication campaign strategy is currently not audience-centred. It found that among the general population, there are gaps between awareness of disease, knowledge, and practice, and that there are often strong misconceptions or myths around causes, prevention, and treatment of HIV and AIDS. Although government campaigns do use a wide variety of methods to communicate information, it is not getting through to communities.

The study recommends that the national health campaign strategy integrate surveys to determine: familiarity with different media; characteristics of various audiences; which media channels communities access; the effectiveness of different media channels; and the socio-cultural, environmental, and economic fabrics of local communities. It suggests that more time be spent in the field to create, raise, develop and sustain awareness and knowledge.