Illustrated print materials for health and family planning education
Moore, M.B.; Sørensen, M.; Adebajo, C.F.
World Health Forum 11(3): 302-307
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0251-2432 PMID: 2291791 Document Number: 375682
Health workers routinely use printed materials to reinforce their interpersonal communication with their target audiences or to support messages relayed by other media. Good illustrations are more likely to have a more striking and lasting impression, and are critical for audiences with poor reading skills, especially in rural areas. The article discusses some of the experiences of PATH (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health), an international nonprofit organization involved in the transfer of health and family planning technology, in working with local organizations in rural areas of developing countries to develop well-illustrated communication materials that are appropriate for the cultures in which they will be used. These experiences concern specifically the use of printed materials in health projects in Nigeria and Pakistan. It is found that the best way of ensuring that the illustrations will be understood and accepted is to develop them with the help of representatives of the target audience.