The Bloomberg School of Public Health's
Center for Communication
Programs has been awarded $30 million by the U.S.
Agency for International Development to implement an
innovative five-year health promotion initiative in Uganda
called AFFORD.
AFFORD is designed to boost the growth and development
of the market for health-related products and services,
such as HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, malaria drugs,
long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, multivitamins with
zinc, and condoms. The program is intended to increase the
accessibility and affordability of such products and
services through innovative approaches that engage the
private sector. It also aims to encourage and sustain
healthy behaviors, and to strengthen Uganda's ability to
deliver products, services and communication support.
Jane Bertrand, director of CCP, said that AFFORD will
be based on a consumer-driven approach to health marketing.
"Its goal is to empower Ugandan families and communities to
protect and improve their health, create vibrant and
expanding markets for health products and services, and
steadily improve consumer access to affordable products and
services."
In addition to CCP, the AFFORD team includes the
Futures Group, the U.K.-based Malaria Consortium and three
Uganda-based organizations — Pulse Communication,
Acclaim Africa and the Communication for Development
Foundation of Uganda. Together with its partners, CCP will
create the Uganda Health Marketing Group, an autonomous
organization based in Uganda.
CCP will help UHMG establish strong relationships with
Uganda's private sector, both commercial and
nongovernmental, to procure, package, distribute and
promote health products. The project will use integrated
marketing and social communication programs to create
demand for health products and services, and it will
"package" products and services together under a common
wellness and healthy lifestyle platform.
For more on CCP and its work, go to
www.jhuccp.org.
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