The Good Life Show

This project uses an entertaining and informative game television and radio show as its main communication strategy to encourage listeners and viewers to think about simple ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The game show strategy was accompanied by a number of other activities to re-enforce the messages each week.

Specifically, the project produced the following:

• a twenty-four episode game show that airs on television and radio;
• a community road show version of the same game show;
• a free telephone line where home audiences can call in and answer the Question of the Week, as well as give feedback and comments on the show; and
• health columns printed in local papers and magazines, as well as a Good Life brochure, all of which reinforce messages from the show.

Participation is a key strategy for The Good Life Show. Contestants on the show are posed challenges, answer questions and participate in skills-building games based on particular health issues. The game show’s three segments, Think, Talk, and Act, are designed to increase knowledge, facilitate communication between couples, and promote steps towards positive health behaviours. Active engagement with the weekly issue helps reinforce the messages the organisers of the show hope to pass on.

In addition to contestant participation, viewers and listeners can also get involved in the programme by answering questions and giving comments through a toll-free hotline. Prizes are used as an incentive to encourage more people to tune in and participate in the show.

Child Health, Family Planning, Health, HIV/AIDS, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), Malaria, Nutrition, Reproductive Health.

The Good Life Show reached an estimated 8,997,694 Ugandans through its multi-channeled approach, and successfully enlisted 13 private sector sponsors, leveraging over US$135,000 in cash and in-kind donations. While radio generaged double the amount of exposure as television, television episodes were very popular in urban and semi-urban areas with television access, and spontaneous watching groups were formed in certain areas. According to the organisers, feedback from the toll-free hotline, which received an average weekly volume of 3,700 calls, has been very positive, with audiences requesting additional shows, thanking AFFORD and UHMG, and giving examples of what they have learned, suggesting that the approach has broken through message fatigue. The Good Life Show will be formally evaluated as part of AFFORD's overall midterm evaluation.