Health Promotion · since 1996

Building healthy
communities, together.

For 29 years, CIDI's Health Promotion department has strengthened the ability of communities to demand quality health services, promoted preventive health behaviours and improved household nutrition in the communities it serves.

Explore our impact → Our Ebola response ↓

29: years of health promotion
5: regions of Uganda
13: districts reached

A health worker measures a baby's mid-upper arm with a MUAC tape while the mother holds the child

Screening for malnutrition at household level, so that cases are found early and referred to a health facility.

3.2M+ people reached with prevention messages

01 — Our mission

Thriving, resilient and inclusive communities.

We empower households with the knowledge, skills and resources to improve their livelihoods and health — working in line with Uganda's national health priorities and policies.

Across our projects, communities have been empowered to demand better health services, while disease prevention and health promotion have grown. Through integrated health and nutrition interventions, households report improved nutrition.

Health workers kneel before a banner reading 'Prioritise Maternal and Child Health Care Services' — Prioritising maternal and child health care services — a call to decision makers.

By 2030, the department aims to

01Strengthen community health systems
02Promote preventive and inclusive health services
03Foster positive health behaviours
04Strengthen community resilience
05Enhance welfare and economic productivity

02 — Our impact

Healthy communities, changing lives.

Twenty-nine years of community-centred work, measured in people reached, skills built and services improved.

3,241,482: people reached with disease prevention messages
35,025: people practising preventive health behaviours
258,778: reached with Ebola risk communication
15,900: community members trained to advocate for health

Reaching communities with health messages

3,241,482people reached with disease prevention messages.
43,680preventive materials distributed to 40,800 beneficiaries, supporting awareness and behaviour change.

Building skills in communities

2,800+people trained in advocacy and WASH approaches in Nwoya, Maracha, Kabale and Bugweri, sharing practices such as handwashing and personal hygiene.
747Village Health Team members trained in the health care approach — carrying out referrals and identifying malnutrition early.
4,275households trained in nutrition through home visits and 12 exchange learning visits that spread good practice to other care groups.
34,875care group volunteers and Neighbour Women in Kyangwali refugee resettlement camp running kitchen gardening, rabbit rearing, VSLA savings and liquid soap making.
2,430households given MUAC tapes to screen for malnutrition in their communities, so cases are referred early.

Changes for people

35,025people have adopted preventive health practices.
807community members have adopted improved health practices and strengthened their links with local health facilities.
4,367households report improved nutrition outcomes.

Speaking up for better health services

15,900community members empowered with health rights advocacy skills, leading to the resolution of 13 key advocacy issues, particularly on access to clean water and sanitation.
4evidence dossiers produced — one each for Maracha, Nwoya, Kabale and Bugweri — to engage decision makers on the issues raised.
4 forumsbrought community members and government officials together. In Bugweri and Nwoya, the District Health Officer committed to regular education sessions on healthy food choices, included in the 2024/2025 budget.
9%of departmental resources committed to nutrition interventions by departmental heads in Kabale district.
4 key daysmarked on the WASH and nutrition calendar through the Right to Grow project, including World Toilet Day, Global Handwashing Day and World Food Day.

03 — Our approach

Empowered communities, better health services.

Our approach puts the community at the centre of advocating for better health services. When people know their health rights and how to prevent disease, they can demand — and receive — better services. We work through four focus areas.

A health worker presents a family planning methods poster to a community member — Explaining family planning methods during a community session — knowledge shared in the places people already gather.

01
Community empowerment for health advocacy
Communities learn their health rights and how to hold services to account — the foundation of lasting change.
02
Health education on priority diseases
Clear, practical information on preventing the diseases that most affect the households we serve.
03
Door-to-door household visits
Village Health Teams and volunteers reach families where they live, identifying malnutrition and referring early.
04
Training opinion leaders
Local leaders and influencers become trainers of trainers, carrying messages through the channels communities already trust.

04 — Spotlight project

The Boda Boda Health and Safety Project.

A three-year project with boda boda riders in Nakawa Division, Kampala — making road safety, first aid and accountability part of everyday riding.

3: year project
Nakawa: division, Kampala
DPA: Danish People's Aid

The project

Supported by Danish People's Aid (DPA), the project works with riders and their associations to reduce preventable injuries on Kampala's roads — treating riders not as a problem, but as the people best placed to solve it.

Riders are reached where they already gather, through their own leaders, alongside KCCA, the traffic police, Naguru Emergency and Trauma Hospital and private sector actors such as SafeBoda.

What the project contributes

Safer riding practices.
Improved knowledge of first aid and road safety.
Stronger health and safety governance within boda boda associations.
Better emergency response and referral systems.
Stronger engagement between riders, government and other stakeholders.

How we work

Four levels of change.

Stage level

Embedding safer behaviour and peer accountability where riders wait, organise and work.

Association level

Institutionalising health and safety governance through committees, guidelines and grievance channels.

Multi-stakeholder alignment

Addressing safety-related barriers with city leaders, police, hospitals and private sector actors.

CIDI organisational capacity

Sustaining coordination and credibility through strong internal systems and learning.

Capacity development

Building the skills, systems and confidence of riders, associations and CIDI staff.

Strategic service delivery

Delivering first aid, road safety and referral services where riders actually work.

Advocacy

Using rider-led evidence to engage duty bearers and change safety norms and policies.

Our objectives

What the project sets out to do.

Road safety and first aid

Equip riders with knowledge and practical skills to prevent accidents and respond appropriately when accidents occur.

Health and safety governance

Support boda boda associations to establish safety committees and develop association-level safety guidelines.

Accountability and grievance

Strengthen mechanisms through which riders can raise concerns, report challenges and seek appropriate responses.

Emergency response and referral

Strengthen collaboration between riders, health facilities, emergency services and other relevant institutions.

Evidence and advocacy

Support riders and their associations to document safety challenges and use evidence to engage government and stakeholders.

Inclusion

Ensure women riders and other potentially vulnerable groups are considered in activities, decision-making and safety discussions.

Why it matters

An essential service, and an everyday risk.

Boda bodas are an important part of Uganda's urban transport system and provide employment and income for many people.
They provide an essential transport service to communities and contribute significantly to the local economy.
At the same time, riders face health and safety risks, including road crashes, injuries, unsafe road practices and challenges in accessing timely emergency care.
Accidents have serious consequences not only for riders but also for passengers, pedestrians, families and communities.

Boda boda association leaders during a health and safety training — Association leaders during the health and safety training.

Project activities

What happens on the ground.

Mobilising riders and building stage structures

Targeted outreach and mobilisation of rider communities, including women riders and their leaders.
Establishment of stage-level safety committees with clarified roles and links to associations.
Simple stage-level health and safety guidelines and safety demonstration packs.
Referral pathways to the target hospital and peer-to-peer exchange visits between associations.
Safety ambassadors trained and mentored as peer mobilisers at stages.

Training, first aid and peer learning

Evidence-informed trainings on road safety and first aid, including prevention of sexual harassment and GBV, gender-inclusive safety practices and financial literacy.
Regular behaviour dialogue sessions at stage level.
Practical simulation on accident response, first aid, protective gear and emergency coordination.
Training of trainers on health and safety, including first aid sessions.
Staff capacity on first aid and protocols, plus stronger internal policies and procedures.

Governance, leadership and accountability

Capacity building and mentorship on internal governance, accountability and safety-oriented leadership.
Association-level health and safety guidelines aligned with national regulations and rider priorities.
Documented accountability mechanisms, reporting lines and member grievance channels.
Cross-learning with SafeBoda on private-sector safety systems and incentive models.
Stronger internal data management for routine decision-making.

Evidence, advocacy and visibility

A participatory evidence-to-advocacy process with boda boda associations.
Trained safety advocacy champions and functional advocacy committees.
Joint campaigns on priority safety issues, including normalising first aid.
Structured engagement with authorities, with member feedback sessions.
Documented rider first aid success stories and credible data on accidents and response times.

Coordination and multi-stakeholder platforms

A stakeholder mapping exercise covering public authorities, health institutions and private sector actors.
A formal multi-stakeholder dialogue platform bringing associations and duty bearers together.
Regular dialogue meetings to review evidence and document commitments.
Issue-based working groups translating findings into policy briefs.
Follow-up meetings with authorities and private sector actors to unblock implementation.

Working with the wider system

Riders, associations and stage leaders.
Kampala Capital City Authority, the Ministry of Works and Transport and traffic police.
Naguru Emergency and Trauma Hospital and Ministry of Health representatives.
Media actors and the wider community.
Motorcycle suppliers, insurance providers, financing institutions and mobility innovators.

What we hope to see

Eight changes by the end of the project.

Stronger and more organised boda boda associations.
Improved knowledge of road safety, first aid and health protection among riders.
Functional health and safety structures within targeted associations.
Better linkages between riders, emergency services and health facilities.
Improved documentation and use of safety-related evidence.
Stronger dialogue between riders, government and other duty bearers.
Greater accountability within boda boda associations.
Fewer preventable injuries and better protection of riders, passengers and other road users.

Partners

Danish People's Aid (DPA)

Funding and programme partner.

SafeBoda

Private sector safety systems.

ATGWU

Amalgamated Transporters and General Workers Union.

Stakeholders

Boda boda ridersBoda boda associationsKCCAMinistry of Works and TransportNational policymakersTraffic PoliceNaguru Emergency and Trauma HospitalMinistry of HealthMedia actorsMotorcycle suppliers and insurersFinancing institutions

From the project

Inception, training and launch.

OC Jinja Road making his remarks at the inception of the project — OC Jinja Road making his remarks at the inception of the Boda Boda project.

Boda boda association leaders during the health and safety training — Boda Boda Association leaders during the health and safety training.

Assistant RCC Nakawa Division speaking at the riders' training — Ass. RCC Nakawa Division speaking at the training of Boda Boda riders.

Lord Mayor KCCA at the launch of the project at Skyz Hotel.

Riders joined by SPM Health, ATGWU, the ED of Naguru Hospital and the Lord Mayor.

A speaker addresses riders and partners at the project inception.

A speech from the podium with CIDI and project branding on stage — A speech from the podium, with CIDI and project branding on stage.

Riders and partners with road safety materials at the training — Riders and partners gather with road safety materials at the training.

Attendees pose at the safety event's photo frame.

Guests sign the welcome board at the launch in Nakawa Division.

SPM Health CIDI presenting at the launch of the project — SPM Health CIDI presenting at the launch of the Boda Boda project.

Partners interested in the Boda Boda project can write to cidi@cidiuganda.org.

05 — Emergency response

Responding to Ebola in the Albertine region.

When Ebola threatened communities in the Albertine region, our teams moved to risk communication and community engagement — meeting people in markets, schools and village meetings with clear, trusted information and reaching households with a person with a disability.

CIDI and UNICEF field staff in branded vests address a community meeting under trees — An outdoor community baraza in the Albertine region.

A field worker shows an Ebola prevention poster to vendors in a market

A student washes hands at a school water tank

258,778: people reached through risk communication and community engagement
23,155: households visited door to door with prevention messages
5,165: local leaders and influencers engaged as trainers of trainers
570: households with a person with a disability reached

06 — Where we work

Five regions, one shared goal.

For nearly three decades, CIDI's health department has worked across five regions of Uganda — in refugee settlements, rural districts and city neighbourhoods alike.

Northern

NwoyaMaracha

Eastern

BugweriKayunga

Central

LuweroNakasongolaBukomansimbiWakisoKampala

Western

KikuubeRubirizi

South Western

IsingiroKabale

Districts include Kikuube, Rubirizi, Isingiro, Nwoya, Maracha, Bugweri, Kabale, Nakasongola, Bukomansimbi, Kayunga, Luwero, Wakiso and Kampala.

07 — From the field

Moments from our communities.

Screening days, school sessions, market visits and household calls — the everyday work behind the numbers.

Students hold a sign about pads and school attendance — Students raise the message that no girl should miss school for want of a pad.

Volunteers sort local foods during a nutrition session — Volunteers sort local foods into glow foods and grow foods during a nutrition session.

An Ebola prevention poster explained to market vendors — An Ebola prevention poster explained vendor by vendor in the market.

Women and children queue for a community outreach clinic.

Students sit in a circle during a menstrual health session — Breaking the silence on menstrual health, one circle at a time.

A hand-stitched reusable sanitary pad — A reusable pad stitched by hand, a skill that turns into income.

A Village Health Team member shares a health booklet with a mother — Village Health Team members share a health booklet with a mother at home.

08 — Stand with us

Together we can build a healthier Uganda.

Our achievements are a step forward, but the journey towards healthy communities for all is still long. We will not stop until every community enjoys quality, accessible and affordable health services.

We call on government, development partners, the private sector and all stakeholders to keep investing in a community-centred health system. A healthy population is the foundation of a productive nation.

Join us today. Be part of the solution.

Talk to the Health Promotion team

We would like to hear from partners, funders, volunteers and researchers. Write to us and a member of the Health Promotion team will get back to you.

Partner on a projectCo-design and deliver health promotion work in your district.
Fund our workSupport community health education, nutrition and advocacy.
Volunteer skillsShare professional skills with our field teams.
Media or research enquiryData, case studies and interviews on request.

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Your details are used only to respond to this enquiry.

Building healthycommunities, together.