2.4.2 Getting started

When you conduct a health education event or meeting, ensure that everybody is seated comfortably and is ready for active participation in the discussion. Smile, and try to make eye contact with everybody as you welcome them and introduce yourself. Ask everyone present to introduce themselves.

Start the presentation with what people know already about the antenatal care service, and build on, or add, what people do not know. You may need to tell them about its advantages, how often and at what time a pregnant woman should have antenatal check-ups, and so on.

Choose your presentation method according to the audience’s condition, number, age, sex, etc. For example, a group of pregnant women may like it if you show them pictures of the uterus with a baby growing inside, or demonstrate how a baby moves down the birth canal, using a doll. Community leaders may benefit from seeing data on maternal and newborn mortality rates (as in Study Session 1 of this Module), to convince them of the need for antenatal care.