Promoting health literacy to reduce health inequalities in societies

Health literacy as a key determinant of health is strongly related to health inequalities. People with well-established health literacy however are more likely to face the complex demands of staying healthy in a rapidly changing environment, while still minimizing the losses in their quality of life. In specific population groups, the proportion of people with limited health literacy is particularly high. Especially in the light of an ageing society, migration and increasing demands on being and staying healthy in modern societies, strategies with the focus on promoting health literacy are needed. Promoting health literacy as a part of individual’s core skills from childhood on, could potentially help to handle health risks already early in life and reduce health inequalities in later life. The talk aims to give an overview about the current situation on health literacy. Furthermore, it will be illustrated which role health literacy plays concerning health inequalities in societies.