Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

Information: Inform the target groups about the cause of disease its transmission and how to prevent the disease. (Collection of known facts)

Education: Educate the target groups about techniques of disease prevention and mode of transmission. (formal training by specialists)

Communication: A process that informs, motivates and helps people to adopt and maintain healthy practices by using techniques to spread the knowledge on the disease prevention and health promotion. (two way process of exchanging or shaping ideas, feelings, and information)

Information, education and communication initiatives are grounded in the concepts of prevention and primary health care. Largely concerned with individual behaviour change or reinforcement, and/or changes in social or community norms, public health education and communication seek to empower people and their health actions, and to garner (gather or collect) social and political support for those actions. IEC can be defined as an approach which attempts to change or reinforce a set of behaviours in a “target audience” regarding a specific problem in a predefined period of time. It is multidisciplinary and client-centred in its approach, drawing from the fields of diffusion theory, social marketing, behaviour analysis, anthropology, and instructive design.

IEC strategies involve planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. When carefully carried out, health communication strategies help to foster positive health practices individually and institutionally, and can contribute to sustainable change toward healthy behaviour.

IEC Dynamics

Information: Facts | data(statistics) | socio-economic-political profile
Education: “activated” knowledge
Communication: Dissemination by using various channels

DEFINITION OF IEC

Information Education and Communication is an approach which attempts to change or reinforce a set of behaviour in a target audience regarding a specific problem in a predefined period of time. (Reproductive health and research, WHO) It combines strategies, approaches and method that enable individuals, families, groups, organisations, and communities to play active role in achieving, protecting and sustaining their own health. embodied in IEC is the process of learning that empowers people to make decisions, modify behaviours and change social conditions. Countries often develop posters, flyers, leaflets, brochures, booklets, messages for health education sessions, radio broadcast or TV spots, etc. as a means of promoting desired, positive behaviours in the community. In some cases, these activities are part of a communication plan within a comprehensive strategy, while in many others they are isolated actions. These initiatives are commonly referred to broadly as “Information, education and communication (IEC)” activities.

An operational definition of “IEC” refers to a public health approach aiming at changing or reinforcing health-related behaviours in a target audience, concerning a specific problem and within a pre-defined period of time, through communication methods and principles (definition adapted from “Information, education and communication – Lessons from the past; perspectives for the future”). This definition helps emphasize the need for IEC initiatives to:

have a clear objective (the specific behaviour to change or reinforce);
target a specific audience (e.g., mothers of children below five years old);
address a “specific problem” (e.g., offering increased fluids and continuing feeding a child with diarrhoea), rather than attempt to change many problems at the same time;
set a timeframe within which the results (“change in behaviour”) are expected to occur.

OBJECTIVES OF IEC

Increase reach of services .
Improve the quality of services.
Make supervision more oriented towards problem solving.
Link supervision with training at various level.
Concentrate on local field problems both for development of training material and their users.
Combine interpersonal communication strategy with mass media appraoch.
Improve performance level through continuous with village community volunteers.

IMPORTANCE OF IEC

It create awareness, increase knowledge and change attitudes
It is not expensive.
It ensures feedback mechanism.

MAJOR COMPONENT OF IEC

Visit schedule
Training
Supervision
Monitoring and evaluation

Steps in Developing IEC Activities

The information gathered through the needs assessment provides the framework for the development of suitable IEC activities. Any activities and materials must always be culturally sensitive and appropriate. These are the major steps you should follow when designing an IEC activity:

Conduct a needs assessment.
Set the goal. This is a broad statement of what you would like to see accomplished with the target audience in the end.
Establish behavioural objectives that will contribute to achieving the goal.
Develop the IEC activities and involve as many other partners as possible. After their successful implementation, you should be able to have a significant impact on achieving the behavioural objectives.
Identify potential barriers and ways of overcoming them.
Identify potential partners, resources, and other forms of support for your activities and gain their sustained commitment.
Establish an evaluation plan.

Some of The Beneficial Attributes of IEC

Variety of Channels: IEC programs uses different channels of communication, which is exceedingly advantageous for the dissemination of message to varied target groups.
Cost Effective: Printed IEC materials are cheap and inexpensive, thus are suitable for low budget programs. Messages intended for the masses are conveyed on broadcast medium like television, which are effective in disseminating the information to a large audience.
Building Capacity: IEC programs guide in information, skills and knowledge to the target groups which is essential for positive health measures.
Target Specific: The participatory nature of IEC programs provide a complete opportunity to engage with the local communities, establish good rapport and to define their specific needs. This enhances the effectiveness of the programs, provides ambient environment for evaluation, improvement and sustenance.
Feedback: IEC programs have feedback which is vital for clarifying questions, reinforcement and solving issues.
External Support: These programs can avail (use) support from other counterparts, government, community leaders, opinion leaders, and local support groups which are tremendously helpful in monitoring, sustaining and achieving success of the programs being implemented.
Logos and symbols: Certain IEC campaigns have established outstanding logos and symbols, which has helped sustain their movements and campaigns. The ‘Red Ribbon’ and the ‘White Ribbon’ logos are instrumental in spreading awareness about HIV and AIDs and elimination of violence against women.
Entertainment: Messages catering to the needs of the individuals and groups can be conveyed through the channels in an entertaining manner captivating the attention of the audience. Jingles in radios, bulletins in televisions, or pictures and graphics are entertaining.

IEC Strategy

Planning strategy
Implementing strategy
Monitoring and evaluation of strategy

PLANNING AN IEC STRATEGY

IEC success when it is planned with a comprehensive strategy.
Gain knowledge and incorporate community tradition.
There must be true dialogue.
Everything cannot be changed at once and focus on relevancy.
It should be cost effective.
Campaign for preventive behaviour.
Fear arousal needs to be used with caution.
The timing should be appropriate.
Information overload is to be avoided.

PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES

Support of community leaders Involve target audience Establish linkage and relationships with NGO and others Interactions between health workers and clients
Multimedia campaign Anticipate trouble and crisis communication plan Monitoring and evaluation

RESOURCES FOR IEC

Print media
Mass media
Television
Radio
Internet

7 IEC “Know” Steps

Know the Problem
Know your Audience
Know your Objectives
Know your Strategies
Know your Messages
Know your Channels
Know your Success Indicator

IEC IN DIFFERENT LEVEL

AT INDIVIDUAL LEVEL

Provides opportunity to develop personality, knowledge, skills and confidence.
It increase awareness.
Reinforcement to sustain behavioural change.
Communication is very important in health practice.

AT COMMUNITY LEVEL

The role of a health educator in family planning programs with IEC are:

Informing
Persuadin
Motivating
Encouraging

Health Communication Nepal

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