Our Projects
The is composed of The IDI courses aim to enhance and build the technical capacity of healthcare workers in Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Targeting healthcare workers and other stakeholders whose work focuses on treatment, management and prevention of HIV/AIDS The IDI courses aim to enhance and build the technical capacity of healthcare workers in Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Targeting healthcare workers and other stakeholders whose work focuses on treatment, management and prevention of HIV/AIDS
E-Learning
The Infectious Diseases Institute’s Learning Innovation Centre (LIC) has earned its place in the delivery of cutting-edge solutions in eLearning technologies and supporting systems. Our platform, the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), hosts training and capacity development programmes that are accredited by the Ministry of Health (MoH). The VLE is rich and offers a wide range of tools and activities such as discussion boards, live chat, quizzes, among others and is also easily integrated with various external emerging technologies that support learning. All materials are transformed into eLearning content that can either be offered in blended trainings or as purely stand-alone online courses. The content goes through rigorous expert review and transformation from its initial raw form to ensure that the e-learning output is most interesting, stimulating and impactful for the final consumers. The VLE also hosts free real-life and simulated case studies developed by IDI in collaboration with healthcare personnel across the country. Cases showcased are complex, unique and are expertly packaged as interactive videos or journal article styled PDFs to be interesting and interactive for learning purposes.
Currently, we have over 10,000 registered users and we hosts over 100 online open-access educational resources and 25 courses. Additionally, we have leveraged this platform and internal capacity to facilitate 4 international courses in collaboration with international partners, transformed several courses from classroom-based trainings to e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our distance learning program features award of certificates for learners who meet the pre-set criteria. We are also accredited by the Uganda Ministry of Health to award Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points to health care workers who undertake our short courses and trainings.
Short Messaging Services (SMS)
We run a toll – free interactive messaging platform used to conduct mobile learning, send reminders and notifications. The SMS platform has been used to build capacity in various areas including Outbreak preparedness, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Infection Prevention and Control, Health Information Management and Malaria Management.
Virtual Reality
In collaboration with the African Centre of Excellence (ACE) in Bioinformatics which is located at our IDI Makerere offices, we also run Virtual Reality based-trainings using simulated virtual environments for learning to give learners similar to real life experiences to help them appreciate concepts better.
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
We run IVR based courses, which involves training participants through pre-recorded mobile phone voice messages.
E-mail learning
We are able conduct modulated email-based trainings
IEC Materials
We have expertise and professional tools to design health related materials for Information, education and communication purposes such as newsletters, brochures, flyers, drug monographs, treatment guidelines, reference charts for providers and posters both for print and digital spaces. Through these IEC materials, we regularly provide guidelines, updates in care and treatment, best practices and relevant information to health workers.
ATIC call centre
IDI’s flagship innovation; the Advanced Treatment and Information Centre (ATIC) uses mobile networks to help link mid-level health workers to specialised health workers in real time so as to improve patient care. Health workers from rural health centres around the country contact ATIC on the toll-free line 0800200055 for real time specialised support in patient management. The ATIC toll-free call centre service runs 24/7 all across Uganda only and offers free advice to health care workers (HCWs) on the treatment and/or management of HIV/AIDS, TB, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Antimicrobial Resistance and several other infectious diseases as well as related areas such as laboratory systems and Health Management Information Systems (HMIS).
The ATIC call centre boasts several other capabilities such as Call conferencing, a toll-free call line for conferencing that operates for groups of more than 20 people without the use of internet
The ATIC call centre Impact
To-date, over 10,000 telephonic consultations have been handled and thousands of health workers supported to manage their patients presenting with challenging scenarios in HIV, TB, COVID-19 and other related infectious diseases as well as non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Thousands of patients have been supported to access care and treatment in health facilities near them, and provided basic health information according to patient needs. ATIC team does not treat patients over the phone and clients who have active health concerns are linked to health facilities near them.
Video tele-conferencing system
We run an advanced video tele-conferencing system that connects a number of regional referral hospitals within the country and all of IDI’s offices in Kampala region. These connections allow for cascading of expert skills and knowledge across locations and has been sued to provide opportunities for participants in distant places to participate in the research forum, switch meetings and other learning forums.
Social Media
We use social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, among others to share relevant information on all major sites and to aid online learning