Development and utilization of low-cost audio-visual aids in population communication.

One of the reasons why population information has to a certain degree failed to create demand for family planning services is that the majority of information and communication materials being used have been developed in an urban setting, resulting in their inappropriateness to the target rural audiences. Furthermore, their having been evolved in urban centers has hampered their subsequent replication, distribution, and use in rural areas due to lack of funds, production and distribution resources. For this reason, many developing countries in Asia have begun to demand population materials which are low-cost and simple, more appropriate to rural audiences and within local production resources and capabilities. In the light of this identified need, the Population Communication Unit, with the assistance of the Population Education Mobile Team and Clearing House, Unesco, has collaborated with the Population Center Foundation of the Philippines to undertake a Regional Training Workshop on the Design, Development, and Utilization of Low-Cost Audiovisual Aids in the Philippines from 21-26 July 1980. The Workshop, which will be attended by communications personnel and materials developers from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, will focus on developing the capabilities of midlevel population program personnel in conceptualizing, designing, developing, testing and utilizing simple and low-cost audiovisual materials. It is hoped that with the skills acquired from the Workshop, participants will be able to increase their capability in training their own personnel in the development of low-cost materials.