Soul Beat Africa
African development action with informed and engaged societies
Soul Beat Africa
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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United Against Malaria SMS Campaign

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In April 2011, shortly after World Malaria Day, United Against Malaria (UAM) launched an SMS (text message) campaign in Uganda designed to raise awareness about malaria, and raise funds for the purchase and distribution of bed nets to malaria endemic areas. Subscribers received text messages with information about malaria, and were invited reply with an SMS to make a donation. 

Communication Strategies

Via corporate partner MTN, the campaign sent educational text messages to seven million cell phone subscribers. Of those, 20,000 texted back to show their support. The proceeds of those transmissions went toward the purchase of 800 mosquito nets, which were distributed to paediatric and maternal wards in the Teso region of Uganda. Organisers say this region was selected because, despite high infection rates, Teso missed out on a recent mosquito-net distribution by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis due to scarce resources.

The UAM partners, including Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs’ Voices for a Malaria-Free Future advocacy project, engaged the public in a variety of ways around the campaign. For two months, Shoprite markets distributed educational flyers to more than 40,000 shoppers per week and provided giveaways as incentives to join the SMS campaign. Total gas stations also gave away prizes. Nets for Life partners, including Standard Chartered Bank, the Church of Uganda, and Coca Cola, educated their constituents and procured steeply discounted nets for staff and customers. Nets for Life has distributed millions of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets since 2006.

In a July 2011 ceremony organised by UAM coordinator Kenneth Mulondo, 20 campaign participants joined UAM partners for a raffle and prize distribution. Organisers say the event showed just how far ordinary people can go to help save lives through simple, everyday action, and through powerful partnerships. Employees of Shopright performed a malaria skit during the closing ceremony.

Development Issues

Malaria, New technologies

Key Points

According to organisers, in Uganda, approximately 40% of outpatient visits to health facilities and nearly half of inpatient paediatric deaths are caused by malaria, a preventable and treatable disease spread through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. The private sector is now helping to fill the resources gap. In total, six partners pledged continued support for the United Against Malaria campaign, which aims to draw together governments, the football fraternity, non-governmental organisations, and the business sector in a push towards eradicating malaria in Africa.<br><br>

Sources

JHU-CCP website on August 31 2011.