Title: Visual materials
Course: Health Education, Advocacy and Community Mobilisation Part 1 - Ethiopia (Full)

Visual materials

Visuals materials are one of the strongest methods of communicating messages, especially where literacy is low amongst the population. They are good when they are accompanied with interactive methods. It is said that a picture tells a thousand words. Real objects, audio and video do the same. They are immediate and powerful and people can play with them!

Think about what real visual materials you might take with you to a health education meeting. We've already mentioned bed netting for demonstrating prevention of malaria, but there are other real objects too. Think about family planning, nutrition, hygiene and so on.

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If your display is on 'family planning methods', display real contraceptives, such as pills (Figure 10.9), condoms, diaphragms, and foams. If your display is on weaning foods, display the real foods and the equipment used to prepare them.

Figure 10.9 Using real visual materials will help you deliver your health messages. (Photo: Carrie Teicher)