LANGUAGE AS A CATALYST FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS IN RURAL KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA: A MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS

Improving knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to sickness prevention and health promotion, particularly in rural multilingual settings, necessitates effective public health communications. This study looks at how multimodal components in public health posters increase health awareness in rural Katsina State, Nigeria. The study used a qualitative research approach and multimodal discourse analysis to investigate 10 selected health posters developed by national and international health organisations, led by multimodal theory and social semiotic perspectives. The analysis focuses on how verbal, visual, spatial, colour, and symbolic variables combine to deliver health messages. The findings indicate that the use of many communication modalities, rather than only language, is a significant element in the success of public health posters. Posters written in Hausa, the dominant language in rural Katsina, are easier for viewers to access and understand than those written entirely in English. Visual components such as drawings, pictograms, and demonstrations of preventive methods can also help low-literacy audiences understand complex health information. Furthermore, culturally appropriate imagery, clear layout patterns, and dependable institutional symbols improve message uptake and community trust. Overall, the study concludes that effective public health communication in rural areas requires multimodal designs that are linguistically accessible, visually clear, and culturally suitable in order to increase knowledge and promote healthy behaviours.   Keywords: Public health communication, Multimodal discourse analysis, Health posters, Rural communities, Health awareness, Multimodal elements, Sociolinguistics.