Health literacy
Health Literacy is the ability to make sound health decision in the context of every day life – at home, in the community, at the workplace, the health care system, the market place and the political arena. It is a critical empowerment strategy to increase people’s control over their health, their ability to seek out information and their ability to take responsibility.
Kickbusch, Maag, Health Literacy: towards active health citizenship 2005
Ilona Kickbusch is committed to the development of the concept of health literacy. The goal is to place health literacy as a key form of literacy in 21st century societies and as an important investment in population health. She lectures widely on the subject, has served on the advisory group of the Swiss health literacy survey > www.gesundheitskompetenz.ch.
Health Literacy at the European Health Forum Gastein EHFG
Promoting the understanding of health literacy in Europe in the context of the
work of the European Commission’s focus on informed patients, consumers
and citizens is critical. A sequence of events on occasion of the EHFG has helped
to move the agenda forward:
2004: workshop on: Improving health literacy a key priority for enabling good health in Europe at the European Health Forum Gastein 2004
2005: Forum on “Healthy Choices” at the European Health Forum Gastein 2005
2006: pre conference workshop at the European Health Forum Gastein on “Navigating health care: Making heath systems work for patients and citizens” October4, 2006 www.ehfg.org
Some key readings:
- NEW: NAVIGATING HEALTH - The Role of Health Literacy, Bad Gastein 2005 (*.pdf) (If you would like hard copies of this brochure please contact suzannewait@ilcuk.org.uk or call +44 207735-7565)
- Health Literacy: Towards active health citizenship. (with Daniela Maag) in: Sprenger, M. (ED) Public health in Österreich und Europa. Festschrift Horst Noack. Graz 2006. pp151-158
- Gesundheitskompetenz (*.pdf)
- Background paper for Gastein Forum Healthy Choices 2005: Enabling healthy Choices in modern health societies (*.pdf)
- Backgound paper for Gastein 2004 workshop (*.pdf)
- Report from the Gastein 2004 Workshop (*.doc)
- Health Promotion International Special Issue: Perspectives on Health Literacy (editor with Don Nutbeam and Susan Renkert) A collection of papers first published in Health promotion International Vol. 15 2000 – Vol.16 2001. Oxford University Press 2002
- Health Literacy: addressing the health and education divide. in Health Promotion International, Vol, 16.3 (2001) pg 289-297
- Literacy – Key to better health? Pfizer Forum in: The Economist , 9. September 2000
