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School of Public Health
College of Health Sciences, Makerere University

MakSPH-Family Tv Hold Talks to Promote Health Communication

Posted on : Thursday, December 16, 2021

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Makerere University School of Public Health -MakSPH has held talks with the leadership of family TV. The talks aimed at strengthening the partnership were guided by Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH in her office on Thursday December 16, 2021.

The partnership seeks to cement the relationship that between the School and Church of Uganda’s Family TV, where the School sponsors the Health Talk Show. The Health Pot show TV program is aired every Friday at 7:00PM.

The Dean hosted the visitors alongside Dr. Christine Nalwadda Luutu Kayemba, a Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. Nalwadda has been spearheading the efforts to see the growth of this partnership. She requested the Dean to support efforts to bring on board researchers from entire MakSPH fraternity to utilize the media platforms at CoU family TV.

Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH hosts Family TV team in her office on Thursday December 16, 2021.
Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH hosts Family TV team in her office on Thursday December 16, 2021.

“We came up with Health Pot show which is actually turning one year and we are working closely with the Communications office at School. We thought that apart from just the Health Pot, Family TV has several other platforms which we can utilize as a School to disseminate our research because I think this is the biggest component that we run here at the School that we need to get out and share with the rest of the partners out there,” Dr. Nalwadda said.

Family TV is a Ugandan TV station broadcasting family-friendly content based on Christian values aimed at #EnrichingLives under Church of Uganda.

Dr. Nalwadda appealed to the Dean to support efforts to mobilise resources to support the program that in turn would enable researchers with community engagements as well as knowledge translation.

Family TV was represented by Mr. Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director, and Mr. Katende Alex Biriggwa, the Station’s Marketing Manager.

Mr. Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director, and Mr. Katende Alex Biriggwa, the Station’s Marketing Manager during the meeting
Mr. Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director, and Mr. Katende Alex Biriggwa, the Station’s Marketing Manager during the meeting

This partnership is to enhance the activities of both parties aimed at contributing to the improvement of the health of Ugandans and beyond. The deliberations centered around strategies towards achieving this mission as well as sustainability of the program.

Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze appreciated the Family TV team for coming to visit the School. She underscored the role of communication and dissemination.

“Yes business is important but I feel very passionate about certain things that we ought to do that we haven’t done as well. Helping our people to be healthier is certainly something that we need to do better in this country,” Prof. Wanyenze observed.

Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH, Dr. Christine Nalwadda Luutu Kayemba, a Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Mr. Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director Family TV Uganda, and Mr. Katende Alex Biriggwa, the Station’s Marketing Manager in her office on Thursday December 16, 2021.
Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH, Dr. Christine Nalwadda Luutu Kayemba, a Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Mr. Amos Mwesigye, the Executive Director Family TV Uganda, and Mr. Katende Alex Biriggwa, the Station’s Marketing Manager in her office on Thursday December 16, 2021.

Adding that; “We have focused so much on our curative services which is good because when we are sick we need to be treated but I think what we have absolutely neglected is making sure that people can avoid getting sick in the first place. I think there is no way you can have a functional health system when you wait to treat people when they are sick so we have a lot fo things we need to be communicating.”

The health pot, a weekly show sponsored by MakSPH is making one year since it started airing. “I am happy that we are here as a team. We have been working together, especially Dr. Christine for some time out of an idea that we conceived as directors. I am happy that we have an MoU. We are almost a year of working together,” Mr. Amos Mwesigye, Family TV’s Managing Director said.

Mr. Amos Mwesigye added; “The purpose of our meeting is to look at how we can sustain our partnership and, in that regard, to grow it into one that can keep us alive as we continue to increase on the programs that we are doing but also how to bring many others on board.”

The teams discussed several other topics areas to include on the radar for the show including among others; a talk show on men, who are seemingly a neglected gender, NCDs, Adolescent Health, Cancers.

Prof. Wanyenze urged the team to explore the opportunities with in the College of Health Sciences-CHS by making further engagements with the Principal Prof. Damalie Nakanjako and the Deputy Principal Prof. Isaac Kajja as well as other various heads of Schools and Institutes at CHS.

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Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, Professor & Dean MakSPH, on Thursday December 16, 2021.

She also urged the team to leverage on the power of social media and other platforms for dissemination.

“These days people of social media have taken over. They have more powerful than we are and we are not speaking enough and I have been speaking with my colleagues that shouldn’t wait to blame other people that are not as well informed when they go out there and speak and people believe them because we are the problem when we don’t tell people the truth and I think COVID-19 has demystified that even further,” Prof. Wanyenze.

“We have focused so much on our curative services which is good because when we are sick we need to be treated but I think what we have absolutely neglected is making sure that people can avoid getting sick in the first place. I think there is no way you can have a functional health system when you wait to treat people when they are sick so we have a lot of things we need to be communicating,” she added.

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