In order to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, young people need confidence, awareness of gender issues and access to services and motivation, not just the raw facts.

Young Empowered and Healthy (YEAH) is a nationally recognised sexual health campaign for and by young people in Uganda, launched in 2004 under the auspices of the Uganda AIDS Commission. YEAH uses radio and other media to reach youth and produces an award winning national weekly serial drama, ‘Rock Point 256.’ YEAH is implemented by Communication for Development Foundation Uganda (CDFU) with technical assistance from Health Communication Partnership (HCP). Funding and support for YEAH has been drawn from USAID, PEPFAR (a special US presidential fund for SRH intervention measures), through John Hopkins Bloomberg University. Other funding is from Save the Children Uganda, UNICEF and the Uganda National AIDS Commission.

Problems addressed

• Research has shown that many HIV and other SRH programmes in Uganda tend to focus on the girl child because she is considered more vulnerable, paying little attention to one of the key sources of that vulnerability: their male counterparts.55
• YEAH addresses underlying factors affecting sexual health at the individual and community level, in social services and in the social/political domains. YEAH also addresses the more general need for meaningful participation of young people in their own projects.

Objectives

• To reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, adolescent pregnancies and school drop-out rates amongst 15 to 24-year-olds in Uganda.
• To stimulate dialogue and action among communities, families, schools, and health institutions, and model positive practices through local and national media.
• To make the political and social environment more conducive to young people’s social and behavioral change through multi-channel campaigns.

Youth as partners

Through regional young people’s advisory groups (YAGs), young people are involved and consulted in every stage of campaign development: from planning, to implementation, to evaluation.

Youth as beneficiaries

One hundred thousand young people targeted and reached by interpersonal communications approaches.

Over 2.5 million young people targeted and reached through media campaigns (and see results below).

Process

• The YEAH model focuses on conducting an initial assessment of the SRHR needs of local communities.
• This informs planning and strategy design and the development of materials for pre-testing.
• The next stage involves dissemination of SRHR education resources through peer educators, and the implementation of SRHR campaigns.
• These are monitored and evaluated (which involves the capacity building of young people and partners) and re-planning begins.
• This informs the designing and implementing of further evidence-based campaigns, such as the ‘Be a Man’ campaign.
• The implementation of educational SRHR campaigns is conducted over a two-year cycle. Regional young people’s advisory groups (YAGs) are involved at all stages, plus a technical advisory team of youth organisation representatives.

Results

• YEAH has received over 20,000 fan letters, many asking for advice or thanking YEAH for helping them reduce their risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.
• A 2008 YEAH impact survey showed that ‘Rock Point 256’ reaches 52% of young women and 60% of young men.
• The ‘Be a Man’ campaign has reached out to 46% of young men and 32% of young women in Uganda.
• The ‘Something for Something Love’ campaign has reached 66% of young men and 70% of young women.

Lessons learned

• Strong partnership amongst all partners and the division of responsibility on a regional basis helps enhance the impact of outreach and communication strategies.
• CSOs working closely with district teams reduces unnecessary duplication of work.
• Strong partnerships working at national and regional level can result in:
  • A focus on high quality communications;
  • Utilisation of widely agreed proven and effective theories and strategies;
  • Cost implications stem from task areas including research, training, monitoring and evaluation, marketing, script writing, materials pre-testing, graphic design and radio production. Estimated annual budget is USD$1.3m.

Potential challenges

• Insufficient availability of resources to match demand for the service;
• Skills gaps amongst partners and young people threatening sustainability.

For further information contact:

info@yeahuganda.org or www.cdfuug.co.ug

• 55. Kibombo et al 2007