Center for Health Market Innovations (CHMI)

HIPS is expanding access to AIDS treatment through partnerships with companies and the Ministry of Health, which provides free antiretroviral drugs from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The program is based on a public-private partnership model in which HIPS and companies share investment costs on at least a 50-50 basis, with companies often contributing 70% of the costs (cash and in-kind). HIPS prevention activities include health information materials and peer education programs for employees and community members to increase knowledge and to encourage health-seeking behaviors. HIPS also works closely with two major Ugandan business associations—the Federation of Ugandan Employers and the Uganda Manufacturers Association—to strengthen their member services through involvement in national health policy issues and capacity in workplace health programs. By transferring knowledge and skills, HIPS is fostering ownership and sustainability of workplace health programs among Ugandan companies.

Key program components include:

• Health fairs. HIPS health fairs are an integrated entertainment education platform that sensitizes employees and the community on health issues. They use the Uganda Health Marketing Group’s established communication program “The Good Life at Work” to position a healthy lifestyle in a holistic way—not just as the absence of disease. Health fairs include employee education seminars, video shows, counseling and testing services, interactive community drama with forum theatre approaches, and live Good Life game shows.

• Expanding community access. HIPS serves as a broker between private clinics (including company clinics) and the Ministry of Health to facilitate accreditation of private clinics. First, HIPS provides direct technical assistance to private clinics so that they meet strict government standards regarding, storage, patient privacy, clinician training, health information materials, and basic equipment requirements. Then, HIPS helps the private clinics work with Ministry of Health officials to obtain official accreditation, which allows the clinics to receive free antiretroviral and tuberculosis drugs. HIPS also helps companies and private health providers attend training at the Mildmay Centre, an internationally recognized AIDS treatment and training center. HIPS pays for provider training and some testing materials and laboratory equipment, while companies pay for staff salaries, drugs, and other operating costs. Through this partnership, such companies as James Finlay’s, Kasese Cobalt, Limited Kinyara Sugar Works, Nile Breweries, Roofings Limited, and Royal Van Zanten have opened their clinics to neighboring communities and enabled access to free AIDS and tuberculosis treatment.

• Access to health products. HIPS facilitates access to lower cost health products such as long lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets, water purification tablets, and family planning products through its partner, the Uganda Health Marketing Group.

• Support to orphans and vulnerable children. HIPS is collaborating with companies to encourage support for orphans and vulnerable children in corporate social responsibility initiatives. Part of this strategy includes HIPS matching grants for programs for orphans and vulnerable children. One company, Nile Breweries, already supports orphans and vulnerable children among sorghum growers (part of Nile’s supply chain) in four regions of the country. Its partnership with HIPS allows comprehensive care and support for households of orphans and vulnerable children, training for community caregivers, a functional referral mechanism for orphans and vulnerable children, and collaboration with other partners.