HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND MALARIA CONTROL IN UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF MALARIA CONSORTIUM IN KIBOGA DISTRICT

Abstract

The study analyzed how health communication affects malaria control focusing on Malaria Consortium in Uganda as the case study. The three objectives that guided the study were: To establish the effect of situation analysis of the health communication environment on the Malaria Control; to examine how the Health Communication messaging offered by Malaria Consortium affects the Malaria Control ; to determine how the nature of Health Communication channels and approaches offered by Malaria Consortium affects the Malaria Control in Uganda. The study used a cross sectional survey design which involved triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative data. Out of one hundred ninety six (196) questionnaires distributed to the respondents, only 192 (one hundred and ninety two) questionnaires were returned. The findings revealed that situation analysis of the health communication environment had a positive and significant correlation with Malaria Control (P< 0.01; r = 0.441**). This meant that the two variables were positively and significantly related; that there that there was a positive but not significant relationship between health communication messaging and malaria control was positive but not significant (p = 0.027>0.01, r = 0.139). The findings revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between nature of Health Communication channels and approaches of and Malaria Control (p<0.01, r = 0.618**). This meant that health communication channels had a higher degree of positive relationship with malaria control in Uganda. In line with the findings and conclusions derived, the researcher recommended that: there is a need to develop different Health Communication messages in forms of mass media advertising, interpersonal communication and the traditional media vehicles thus continuously utilized so as to equip people more on various ways of preventing the disease.