To increase awareness on COVID-19, substance abuse and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) amongst refugees and those in the host communities TPO Uganda adopted the use of the solar-powered MP3 Audiopedia devices as part of the innovations to ensure continuity.
Audiopedia Player for Health and Psychosocial Support
The Audiopedia Player was greatly embraced as a more convenient means of creating awareness on MHPSS, COVID-19, and substance abuse in the respective communities.
Field Insights and Testimonials
"We were led into a space to rethink and ensure continuity with resilience. This required developing new ways of working and learning new things. Through technology-driven approaches, innovations like the Audiopedia were birthed and adopted to enable and increase awareness on COVID-19, substance abuse and MHPSS amongst the refugees and host communities."
— Patrick Samabag, Country Director of TPO Uganda in their annual report for 2021. TPO Uganda is the leading local NGO integrating psychosocial support and mental wellness into programs aimed at reducing vulnerability.
"Like other organizations, TPO Uganda is currently navigating a wealth of social, economic, and technological changes, including those accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, we focus on developing and adapting new approaches and interventions like the Audiopedia, ensuring continuity of work and service delivery among beneficiaries which will be scaled up."
Implementation and Impact
At the beginning of the project, content on COVID-19 and MHPSS was created in the languages Kuku, Madi, and Arabi. The messages were approved by the District Health Officers (DHOs) of Moyo and Obongi prior to transcription and uploading into the devices. During engagements with DHOs and health centre staff in Palorinya, concerns about low community turnout for COVID testing and vaccination—due to fake news—led to the integration of more robust awareness messages emphasizing the importance of vaccination.
In total, 54 stakeholders and staff (41 males and 13 females; target: 50) were trained on the operation of the Audiopedia devices. Additionally, 132 focus group discussions (target: 600) were conducted on COVID-19, Ministry of Health guidelines, and MHPSS, with participants providing feedback for subsequent content adaptations. Social Workers and VPAs distributed solar-powered MP3 devices to 33 women groups (reaching 392 individuals: 38 men and 354 women; target: 600) in the Palorinya Refugee Settlement to raise awareness on COVID-19, MHPSS, and substance abuse. Beneficiaries were oriented on how to operate the devices prior to distribution.
During capacity building, TPO Uganda noted that participants quickly learned how to power the devices on/off, adjust volume, and select audio content. Group leaders pledged to monitor the devices daily, ensuring that each group used them for three days before they were collected and redistributed. New sets of messages—addressing COVID-19 and psychological distress (evidenced by increased alcohol abuse and domestic violence) and featuring local music for relaxation therapy—were deployed after each device cycle.
By mid-October, 212 (36 men, 176 women) of the 392 beneficiaries reached through these awareness messages on COVID-19 got vaccinated. Additionally, 11 beneficiaries installed hand washing facilities as a preventive measure, and some groups were observed adhering to standard operating procedures by wearing face masks and practicing social distancing during meetings.
On the MHPSS side, of the 400 targeted individuals, 224 (37 men, 187 women) were assessed for general mental health. Thirteen individuals (3 men, 10 women) were diagnosed with poor wellbeing, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. These individuals will be supported through problem management plus sessions using recorded therapy messages played on the devices. Regular home visits and counseling sessions have also led to 39 psychiatric referrals, identification of 17 cases of alcoholism or substance abuse, and 2 cases of suicide attempts—prompting beneficiaries to adopt new coping mechanisms.
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