Government

The Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) is committed to a National Health Policy that emphasizes decentralization of health services to the district and sub-district levels and provision of selected basic health services known as the Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package. DISH worked closely with various departments of the MOH:

• Reproductive Health Division;
• Health Promotion and Education Division;
• Quality Assurance Department;
• Malaria Control Programme;
• Child Health Division;
• Nutrition Division;
• STD/AIDS Control Department;
• Uganda National Expanded Program for Immunisation; and
• Health Planning Department.

Development Partners

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a major donor in reproductive health in Uganda, funded the Delivery of Improved Health Services for Health (DISH) project.

The British International Development Agency (DFID) also supported reproductive health in Uganda but in different districts. DISH II was implemented in 12 of Uganda's 56 districts.

The European Development Fund supported workshops on Health Management Information System (HMIS) data utilization.

NGOs & Cooperating Agencies

African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF)
African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), Africa's largest health development organization that has worked to research and alleviate Africa’s health problems, worked with the DISH project to establish and maintain distance learning courses for service providers. These courses were designed to contribute toward improved quality and availability of reproductive, maternal and child health services.

AIDS Information Centre
The AIDS Information Centre (AIC) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to making voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) and supportive services available in Uganda. The AIC has facilities in Kampala, Jinja, Kamuli and Mbarara, and has assisted district health services to establish VCT services in hospitals and health centers through training, supervision, and provision of testing equipment and supplies. DISH worked closely with AIC to promote utilization of VCT services, and to encourage safer sex behavior.

Commercial Market Strategies (CMS)
Commercial Market Strategies (CMS) is a USAID-funded project working to expand the role of the private and commercial sectors in reproductive health care in developing countries. DISH worked with CMS to promote family planning, safer sex behavior, appropriate management of STDS, home management of fever/malaria in children, prevention of malaria in children and pregnant women.

Family Life Education Project (FLEP)
The Family Life Education Project (FLEP), a multi-service reproductive health agency, operates in five Districts of Uganda, two of which fall within the DISH II target districts. FLEP provides community based service delivery, static clinic services and education.

MEASURE Evaluation Project
The MEASURE Evaluation Project is committed to coordinated, cost-effective and efficient approaches in data collection, monitoring and evaluation of population, health and nutrition services. Funded by USAID, MEASURE examines the impact of a wide range of activities to improve human health and well-being, with a focus on family planning, maternal and child health and nutrition, and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Since 1997, MEASURE assisted DISH to carry out evaluation surveys to estimate the impact of DISH project activities.

MOST, The USAID Micro Nutrient Program
MOST, the USAID Micronutrient Program is assisting government and stakeholders to prevent and control micronutrient deficiencies throughout Uganda. DISH and MOST collaborated in the development and dissemination of communication messages concerning nutrition and micronutrients through advocacy materials, radio spots and video infomercials.

The Population Council
The Population Council is an international, nonprofit organization that conducts biomedical, social science, and public health research. Its findings help change the way people think about problems related to reproductive health and population growth. DISH worked with the Population Council and the Regional Centre for Quality Health Care and the Ministry of Health to evaluate the impact of the quality of care strategy that DISH assisted the Ministry of Health to initiate in the 12 project-supported districts.

Straight Talk Foundation
Straight Talk Foundation, a health communication NGO for youth, produced Health Matters newsletters for the DISH project. Straight Talk also worked with the DISH project on an adolescent reproductive health services activity producing brochures, posters and signboards for each adolescent reproductive health (ARH) site. It distributed Straight Talk newsletters through the ARH services and also broadcast their radio programmes live from each ARH site at least once.

Uganda Private Midwives Association
The Uganda Private Midwives Association (UPMA) is a professional organization for midwives who own private clinics in Uganda. Approximately 200 midwives throughout Uganda are members of the association which provides training courses, newsletters, and supervision to its members. DISH worked closely with UPMA to train private midwives in the districts where the project was implemented, and to disseminate health communication messages to clients of private providers.

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA)
YWCA, an organization dedicated to empowering women and young people, implemented information, education and communication activities for the DISH Project.

Universities

Makerere University

The DISH project worked closely with the Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care at Makere University to train District Directors of Health Services in quality assurance and leadership skills.

Private Sector

McCann-MCL Uganda
McCann MCL Uganda is the Uganda affiliate of the McCann Erickson Advertising Group, and is a full service advertising agency based in Kampala. Since 1994, McCann MCL was contracted to produce print, radio, TV, and interactive media materials for the DISH project communication campaigns. In 1996, Mc Cann MCL won the Global Media Award for Best Radio Programme for the DISH project supported Choices Radio Programme; and in 1999 McCann MCL shared the finalist award with DISH, Straight Talk, the AIDS Information Centre, and Media for Development Trust for the multi-channel "Take Control of your Life" campaign to increase use of Voluntary Counseling and Testing services for HIV.

BAVA Studios
BAVA Studios is a privately owned recording studio in Uganda. DISH contracted BAVA Studios in 2000 to produce 94 episodes of a weekly half-hour magazine format radio program to deliver family health messages in Luganda and Runyankole. The radio series focused on male involvement in family planning, breastfeeding and infant nutrition, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, STD management and prevention, adolescent reproductive health, safe motherhood, prevention of mother to child HIV transmission, immunization and malaria. Episodes on specific topics complemented behavior change communication campaigns and assisted in raising knowledge and stimulating the demand for quality health care in the DISH supported districts.

Group Africa
Group Africa is an experiential marketing group in Africa, with offices in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda. Since 1995, DISH worked with Group Africa to organize music contests, interactive road shows, clinic visits, community-radio game shows, and community film shows.

Semat Productions
Semat Productions is a private recording company in Kampala. The DISH Project hired Semat Productions to produce radio spots, the "Nze N'owange" radio programmes, and the "Hits for Hope" music cassette.