Vector Ludo
Vector Ludo is an innovative game inspired by the traditional Ludo, a game deeply rooted in Ugandan culture. Designed to foster community engagement, the game initiates important conversations surrounding vector-borne illnesses and their prevention. During fieldwork, community members actively participate in the game, promoting awareness of common diseases transmitted by vectors in Uganda and other Sub-Saharan African countries.
Players navigate with tokens through four unique areas, each representing a different disease-transmitting vector. Available in both English and six local- Ugandan languages, Vector Ludo is accessible to a wide range of communities, making it an effective tool for raising awareness and encouraging preventative actions.
The project was initiated by CVR PhD student Marina Kugler as a collaboration between MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, UofG Games Lab, Wellcome Trust and the Uganda Virus Research Institute.
Read below to find out how Vector Ludo was created, how to play and where it has travelled to!
The Story of Vector Ludo
After hearing about the Research Connections: Arts and Virus Research opportunity, Marina Kugler met with Rachel Porteous of the Games Lab. Rachel shared details about various innovative projects the lab had been involved with, and the two discussed the possibility of adapting some of these ideas for Uganda. The conversation grew, and soon Dr. Timothy Peacock and Peter Watson from the Games Lab became involved in the project. As enthusiasm spread, Hannah Bialic also joined in.
The team quickly realized the importance of including experts on the diseases they wanted to address in the game. This led to the involvement of Dr. Raheema Chunara, who was studying Schistosomiasis in Uganda, and Dr. Joanne Power, who had extensive experience working with mosquitoes and malaria. Marina Kugler had worked on CCHFV (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus) and ticks, as well as Onchocerciasis and black flies in Uganda, contributed her own expertise to the project. With each new collaborator, the project grew stronger, as different vectors were brought into the game’s design.
Once the English version was finalized, Marina contacted friends and colleagues in Uganda to help translate the board into multiple local languages. A printing shop in Kampala was enlisted to print the boards on waterproof paper, and Ben Ssebiranda, a friend training to be a carpenter in Uganda, built the wooden boards with glass shields on top. This design was particularly practical for Ugandan communities, as it allowed the game to be played on any flat surface, even a stool or bench, without the need for a table.
The first set of ten boards was taken to Soroti and Kaabong districts for the initial recruitment phase. The team distributed the boards to villages, where they gathered groups of children and teenagers who were eager to learn something new. Each session included a discussion about the diseases featured on the board, followed by a game of Vector Ludo.
Vector Ludo quickly became more than just a game—it turned into a tool for teaching, connecting communities, and starting meaningful conversations about health and disease prevention. Through this collaborative effort, the game continues to spread awareness about vector-borne illnesses in Uganda and beyond, fostering both learning and fun along the way.
Get Playing Vector Ludo!
Download the Vector Ludo game instructions and boards in English, Luganda, Ateso, Karamojong, Lugbara, Lusoga, and Lukhonzho, and get playing.
All you need to play is the printed board, a dice and some different coloured tokens- printable tokens provided, although you can even use rocks or bottle lids, get inventive!
Where has Vector Ludo been so far?
Kachumbala Amuno (Uganda) is a non-profit organisation helping rural children and their families in the Kachumbala region. Their hub advocates for education and community outreach. Vector Ludo was played there amongst children from rural areas. Check out their amazing work @amunoruralhub!
Kaabong Hospital (Uganda) is a vital healthcare provider for the local community in the Kaabong District- captured from a distance by Marina in the image above. Vector Ludo was played in the nurses community room of the hospital!
Explorathon (Scotland) is a festival lead by University of Glasgow to celebrate the diversity of research happening across the country. Vector Ludo was taken to an event at the University of Glasgow Advanced Research Centre (ARC) during the festival in September 2024!
Where will Vector Ludo go next?