Uganda COVID-19 Campaign

The Next Big Thing

A group of concerned health communication specialists in Uganda has volunteered their time to help the government get word out about COVID-19 and its prevention. These SBC professionals come from a variety of organizations and institutions, including MOH, UNICEF, USAID funded projects, universities, Ugandan NGOs, media houses, and international NGOs. Even retirees and independent consultants are members of the group.

The Next Big Thing group emerged organically with no financial.or technical assistance from any donor funded project. Since March 18th, when the group first decided to offer assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH), it has developed and launched a mass and social media campaign called Tosemberera. The campaign encourages Ugandans to stay at home, maintain a distance of at least two meters from others, wash hands frequently, and take other precautionary measures recommended by government.

Tonsemberera Campaign

On the 1st of April, only two weeks after work began, the Tonsemberera campaign was launched by the Minister of Health. The campaign is intended to harmonize government communication efforts in response to the pandemic, raise awareness and popularize simple actionable behaviors. It invites citizens, leaders, and popular influencers to share stories through social and mass media about how they are protecting themselves and others. The aim is to engage as many partners as possible to share accurate information about the disease and the government’s recommendations for prevention and treatment.

Thus far the list of materials includes the following (this will be updated as needed):

• Brochure COVID-19 Facts
• Keep a Distance PSAs
• Hospital Checklist

Source: Uganda Ministry of Health

Date of Publication: April 7, 2020