Description: The Uganda Health Communication Alliance (UHCA) is a professional organisation that brings together journalists and other communication professionals from non-government organisations, government and academia. UHCA’s main objectives are to train, empower and support journalists and public information specialists who disseminate health information. It is legally registered as a national non-profit organisation with activities focussing on Kampala as well as upcountry.

Structure: UHCA has the relevant institutional structure. It has a secretariat and direct contact with over 500 journalists, journalism students, health communication professionals and other professionals involved in the dissemination of health information spread throughout the country. The organization is a member of key sector working groups and is mandated to forward and present issues at policy level.

Objectives

• To train, empower and support journalists and public information specialists involved with dissemination of health information
• Act as a link between health organisations and the media
• To source, package and disseminate information about health issues
• To create a pool of readily accessible resources for health information and communication
• To carry out research related to health communication

Main activities

The key activities of UHCA include:

• Monthly workshops aimed at enhancing journalists’ and communicators’ knowledge about key health issues, creating story opportunities for the media and giving health professionals an opportunity to disseminate information.
  
• Publishing a monthly electronic newsletter that includes highlights of new developments, upcoming events, discussion papers and tips for journalists and communicators.
• Creation of a mailing list of people interested in the dissemination of health information. To-date a mailing list of over 500 people (journalists, communicators, health professionals and development workers) has been created.
• Virtual resource centre: A website has been developed to serve as a virtual resource centre for the media practitioners, health communicators and development workers.

Profile of relevant experience and related work:

1. A Training Workshop for Health Journalists and Health Communicators- Are We Ready for the Next Epidemic? A Training Workshop for Health Journalists and Health Communicators: This workshop was organized in collaboration with Makerere University Department of Mass Communication in April 2008. The event brought togetherexperts in health and journalism, health reporters and professional health communicators to examine how epidemics occur and are controlled, the outlook for future outbreaks, and the performance of government and the media during these medical emergencies.
2. A Hands-On Workshop on the use of internet as a source of health information - May, 2008: The workshop which featuredJulia Royall, Fulbright, Scholar and Chief of the Office of International Programs for the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Journalists and Health Communicators was held at Albert Cook Library, Computer Lab, Makerere University Medical School.The event was sponsored by the Uganda Health Communication Alliance and Makerere University Department of Mass Communication. 
3. Workshop on Social Health Insurance for Uganda - Will it Work? Will it Help?: This workshop was organized in collaboration with Makerere University Department of Mass Communication inJuly, 2008. During the workshop experts from the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health, and the private sector examined the effort to establish a national health insurance system for Uganda. The event was designed to encourage a dialogue between the experts and working journalists and professional health communicators.
4. Workshop on Uganda’s Drug System - What Will It Take to Fix It? August, 2008: During this workshop three noted experts in pharmaceutical drugs examined the challenges faced by Uganda’s system for supplying and regulating the flow of prescription medicine and what is needed to repair it.
5. Workshop on Uganda’s Exploding Population: Can We Control Our Destiny? The workshop which was organized in October, 2008 and was graced by a number of experts from government, academia and the development community looked at the dramatic growth of Uganda’s population, its likely impact on health and implications for policy-making.
6. An International Students’ Conference on Malaria in the Tropics: The 3 days conference 20^th – 22^nd November 2008 featured a debate “DDT and Malaria – What Comes Next?” and attracted about500 prominent researchers, doctors and students, along with health journalists and communicators. The event was organized by the Makerere University Medical Students Association, with support from Uganda Health Communication Alliance.
7. Workshop on Parliament and HIV - Can We Legislate a Solution to the Continuing Epidemic? December, 2008: The workshop discussed the law on HIV Prevention and Control Law which was then before Parliament. The experts who graced the event examined what the law would achieve and whether it would get the country back on track towards elimination of the disease.
8. Workshop on Primary Health Care - How Much Progress Have We Made? January 28, 2009: The workshop which featured three prominent health experts and scholars, Dr. Sarah Kiguli, head of the Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Makerere University Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Nathan Kenya Mugisha, Director for Clinical Services, Ministry of Health and Dr. Peter Okwero, Senior Health Specialist, The World Bank, examined the government and donors’ commitment towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the capacity of VHTs to close the primary health care gap and affordability as well as sustainability of existing primary health care approaches.
9. Workshop on the Proposed Tobacco Control Law for Uganda-March, 2009: The Uganda Health Communication Alliance and the International Center for Journalists hosted a discussion at which a proposed new tobacco-control law for Uganda was unveiled. The event which was held at Triangle Hotel, Buganda Road, Zebra Room bought together health experts, anti-tobacco activists and journalists to discuss the political forces that will shape Uganda ’s policy on this important issue.
10. Workshop on the War on Malaria: Can We Win It? The workshop which was organized as part of the activities to commemorate the 2009 World Malaria Day by UHCA in collaboration with UNAU attracted a number of medical experts, health communicators and seasoned journalists to examine the progress made in the fight against the number 1 killer disease.
11. Study Tour to Mpigi Village Health Teams: April, 2009: Uganda Health Communication Alliance members visited Mpigi to see how VHTs operate and held a Focus Group Discussion with Radio journalists to discus the challenges of covering public health issues consistently. Radios that were represented at the focus group discussion included Capital Fm, Radio One & Two, Radio West, Vision Voice, Sanyu Fm, Mega Fm and Uganda Radio Network- a radio news agency. The dialogue was also attended by scholars like Fred Senoga from Makerere University School of Public Health and Harriet, a lecturer at Makerere University Department of Mass Communication.
12. The Double Burden of Malnutrition - Are Ugandans eating their way into health trouble? May, 2009: The workshop featured a panel of nutrition experts, scholars and researchers who examined the unhealthy trends in Ugandans’ eating habits and explored ways of improving the situation. The event was held at Hotel Triangle, Kampala, Buganda Road, Zebra Hall.
13. Workshop on Urban Health and the Media: On 6^th April 2010, Uganda Health Communication Alliance (UHCA) in collaboration with World Health Organization and United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU) organized a media workshop as part of the activities to commemorate the 2010 World Health Day. The workshop attracted over 50 participants mostly journalists and selected health communicators from targeted organizations. The workshop which was graced by the presence of WHO Representative Dr. Joachim Seweka discussed health challenges associated with urbanization and highlighted the role of the media in raising the profile of health issues in the context of urbanization.

Felloship Programme

Partnership with ICFJ

Onsite-upcountry radio stations capacity building

Media Tours –Kisumu, Nairobi

Media relations training for Health Communication Organisations