2. Information , education and communication
Information
Information means, data or idea or observation that
can be used or reworked into a finished form.
The facts provided or learned about something or
someone .
Education
The process of receiving or giving systematic
instruction, especially at a school or university.
Formal education - Pre school education. Primary
school education, Secondary education, Tertiary
education
3. Definition
IEC can be defined as an approach which attempts
to change or reinforce a set of behaviors in a target
audience regarding specific problem in a predefined
period of time.- Reproductive health and research,
WHO
4. Aims
• To change the health behavior of individuals,
family and community.
• To prepare background or basis for change
in health behavior.
• To change the norms of the community.
• To facilitate education for audience about
public health and to create awareness in
public opinion.
• To obtain social, political support for health
activities.
5. Scope or Fields of IEC
In relation to health
Primary health care Prevention /control
on communicable diseases.
Reproductive health/maternal and child
health services.
Family welfare
Nutritional services
Personal hygiene
6. Approaches of IEC
The approaches of IEC are based upon
following fields or subjects
• Diffusion theory
• Social marketing
• Behavioral analysis
• Instructive design
• Anthropology
7. Communication
Communication is about sharing of idea,
information, knowledge and opinions. -
Shuchi M bhardway.
Communication is the exchange and flow
of information and ideas from one person
to another person. - U. S. army.
8. Types of communication-
Verbal communication -The tone of voice
can communicate feelings and emotions
that are as significant as the words being
spoken.
Non-verbal communication -Body position,
facial expression, body language,
movement or expression that indicate
fatigue, fear, frustration and anger.
9. Information, Education and Communication
IEC is the process of learning that empower people
to make decision, modify behaviour and change
social condition.
Conversation or passing on information by “word-of-
mouth” has been show to be one of most effective
communication channels for acquiring knowledge
and promoting desired changes in behaviour.
10. Information , education and communication in health
programme
aims to increase awareness, change attitudes and
bring about a change in specific behaviour.
IEC means sharing information and idea in a way
that is culturally sensitive and acceptable to the
community, using appropriate channels, messages
and method.
11. IMPORTANCE OF IEC-
IEC works, it creates awareness, increase
knowledge.
Mass media helps to create an agenda for public
debate, it is not expensive.
IEC is effective, communication channels
ensures availability of feedback mechanism. This
is important for reinforcement and for clarifying
questions an issues.
IEC is an adequate blend of entertainment and
social message.
12. Health Education
John M Last defines, 'The process by which
individuals and groups of people learn to behave
in a manner conducive to the promotion,
maintenance or restoration of health'.
World Health Organization defines as 'Health
education is the part of health care that is
concerned with promoting healthy behavior'.
Health education can be defined as a process
aimed at encouraging people to want to be
healthy, to know how to stay healthy, to do what
they can individually and collectively to maintain
health and to seek help when needed. The
Declaration of Alma Ata(1978)
13. Aims and objectives
• To encourage people to adopt and sustain health
promoting life style and practices.
• To promote the proper use of health services
available to them.
• To arouse interest, provide new knowledge,
improve skills and change attitudes in making
rational decisions to solve their own problems.
• To stimulate individual and community self
reliance and participation to achieve health
development through individual and community
involvement at every step from identifying
problems to solve them.
14. Principles of Health education
Credibility
Interest
Participation
Motivation
Comprehension
Reinforcement
Learning by doing
Known to unknown
15. Setting an example
Good human relations
Feedback
Leaders
Prosodic – like rhymes
Paralinguistic – tone, pitch or manner of
speaking
Kinesics – body movement & gestures
Standing feature
16. PLANNING AN IEC STRATEGY-
IEC success when it is planned with a
comprehensive strategy.
Gain knowledge and incorporate community
traditions and to “ follow the community at its own
rhythm.
IEC strategy must have comprehensive intervention
which emphasize long term capacity building at the
grass root level.
There must be a true dialogue around a wise range
of issue relevant to public health during the planning
stage.
17. It is important to remember that every thing can not
be changes at once and focus on relevancy.
Modeling is often the best way to teach complex
behaviour.
Programs that seek to teach new behaviours work
best when they define through research what the
health problem really is, who it effects.
Sound programs also use audience segmentation
behaviour analysis and anthropological research to
create message that are salient, action oriented and
attractive
18. Most effective campaigns combine mass media with
community, small group and individual activities and
are supported by an existing community structure.
Campaign for preventive behaviours are more
effective if they emphasize positive behaviour
change rather than the negative consequences of
current behaviour.
Fear arousal as a campaign strategy needs to be
used with caution .
The timing of a campaign help to determine its
effectiveness.
If more than one set of messages is being delivery
via an umbrella campaign, phasing of messages
might be important to avoid information overload.
19. IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGY-
Support of community leaders, public opinion.
Leaders and decision-makers can lead to stronger
results.
Actively involving the target audience in the design,
implementation and monitoring of a project is critical,
listen to local language, custom and experience.
Establish linkages and relationship with and actively
involve traditional healers, NGO’s and support
groups share information with them.
The instruction between health care providers and
client providers and client is important for successful
IEC intervention. Provides behaviour is critical and
the need for behaviour and attitude change among
health workers has been established.
20. Multimedia are most effective when mass media
and population traditional channel are used in
combination with person to person interaction.
Take advantages of local holidays and festiva.
Logos and symbols offer a way to create unity
between a wide range of communication messages.
Observation of materials in use and trial periods can
help to detect problems.
Simple, inexpensive print materials can be useful
and more cost-effective than more expensive and
elaborate product.
IEC materials are more widely distributed when their
distribution system is combined with relevant health
commodities.
21. RESOURECES FOR IEC-
1)Print media-
Print media have a useful role in health promotion in
providing information on health issue.
The effectiveness of print media depends on
achieving a match between the readability of the
material and the level of literacy and health literacy
of the intended audience
Health promotion needs to adopt a systematic
approach to the development of print materials
including initial research to develop appropriate
message, good quality, design using clear and
attractive layouts ensure readability of the content
and relevance of the content.
Ex. Newspaper, magazines
22. 2)Mass media-
Mass media are tools for the transfer of information,
concepts and ideas to both general and specific
audiences. They are important tools in advancing
public health goals, communicating about health
through mass media is complex.
Mass media performs three key functions
Educating Shaping public relations
Advocating
23. Television- TV is a powerful medium for appealing to
mass audiences, it reaches people regardless of
age, sex, income, educational level.
Radio- Radio also reaches mass and diverse
audiences. Radio health message campaigns have
been effective in developing countries.
Internet- The advent of the world wide web and the
massive increase the internet users offers public
health personnel enormous opportunities and
challenges.
24. Types of media Ways to use media
Example of media Audio visual broadcast media
News programs,
documentaries,
Education entertainment,
public service announcement
TV,Radio
Audio visual non broadcast media
Self help package,
documentaries,
cartoons,
short features Video,
DVD,
CD,
Cassettes
26. Electronic media
Website,
self help packages,
Internet,
CD- ROM,
Mobile phones,
Advantages
1.Achieve wide coverage
2.Impact on behaviors receptive to change
3.Convey simple information
4.Increase knowledge
5.Put health on public agenda
27. IEC Reference manual for health programme
managers-
In 1980, Zimbabwe adopter the primary health care
approach to correct imbalance in the health care,
health programmes address problems idenitified as
priorities by the ministry of health and child welfare.
These priorities includes HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria,
nutrition, diarrhoeal disease and acute respiratory
infection, reproductive health including family
planning, dysentery and measles.
28. The purpose of IEC is improve peoples, health by
increasing awareness and knowledge and changing
attitude and behaviour.
The strategy aim to improve the general well-being
of individual, family and community by encouraging
people to be responsible for their own action through
their own efforts.
29. HEALTH EDUCATION AGENCIES
International level
• International union for health education
• Health Education and Health Promotion
HEHP(WHO)
• Division of Public information and Public
relation(WHO)
30. National level
• Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB)
• Under the Ministry and Broad casting, different division or
units are playing important part in providing health
education to community.
• Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB) Objectives
• To make available facilities of communication for health
education.
• To carry out training and research in health education.
• To exchange latest information about the development
and programmes.
• To publish and distribute various health bulletins,
magazines and information.
• To provide technical support to central and state health
services and various health organizations.
31. Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB) Divisions
1. Training division
2. Publicity division
3. Editorial division
4. Health education division
5. Regional study division
6. Exhibition center division
7. Professional syllabus division
8. Research and evaluation division
Under the Ministry and Broad casting, different division or
units • Press information Bureau(PIB) •
Directorate of field publicity • Directorate of advertising
and Visual publicity • Prasar Bharti • Songs and Drama
division • National medical Library
32. State level
• State Health Education Bureau • IEC bureau
under their health ministry. • Besides the state
agencies, the divisions/wings/units of central
health education agencies
District level
• All district level health officers • family planning
officers • RCH wings . • District information
centres • District Collector
Local level
• In cities; Municipalities, municipal corporation,
development authorities etc • In villages
panchayats, Block development officers • Beside
these various NGOS and voluntary organizations,
33. NURSES RESPONSIBILITY IN IEC
The nurse should consider the following points in
health education
• To gain confidence of people.
• To arouse the interest in people about good health.
• To motivate them to bring about changes in habits for
healthy life.
• To prepare them for utilization of available health
services.
• To develop a sense of responsibility among people
towards good health of the whole community.
A friendly and cooperative feeling should be kept for
health education.
The opportunities for health education should be
34. It is necessary to select the subject matter cautiously.
The nurse should be proficient in the art of incidental
and timely health education.
It is necessary to use appropriate audio visual aids to
enhance the effect of health education.
The sufficient preparation and cooperation of the
government and voluntary agencies, central health
education bureau, state health education bureau,
directorate of audio visual publicity, local leaders,
teachers, health workers etc.
It is necessary to remove various obstacles in
communication.
Health education should be planned and continuous.
Periodical evaluation and expected correction of
health education programmes with the help of various
