Entertainment-Education using traditional folk song in Lao PDR

In the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, health education has been emphasized as a vital for improving peoples lives and facilitating healthy behaviour. However, it is very difficult for many people to access and understand health information. The author focuses on using Lao peoples oral tradition. Their oral tradition is represented in a folk song which is a communication medium to preserve and generate historical events, and folk tales that passes on and keep alive local knowledge from one generation to the next as they revitalize the language and affirm popular culture. These functions have been potential for use in health promotion to create supportive environments, strengthen community actions and develop personal skills. This book explores the application of Lao traditional folk song in health promotion. The results of this work indicate usefulness of Lao folk song for helping individuals memorize information and to promote behaviour changes. Even young people highly evaluate in message persuasion and cultural fitness. The approach of a combination between use of traditional folk media and an Entertainment-Education strategy is helpful for health promotion in Laos.

Itsuko Yoshida, PhD: Studied Health Sciences at Hiroshima University. Associate Professor at Yasuda Women's University, Hiroshima.