Strengthen research on health literacy together

The health literacy movement is on the rise and it is wonderful to see how health literacy research around the world is making a difference in the way we design people-centered health and social services.

The GLOBHL network provides an important point of connection for researchers looking to build partnerships, access expertise and collaborate with colleagues from across the world. Health literacy researchers at all stages in their career draw benefit from the breath and depht of the network and are better connected to like-minded scholars who are committed to seeing their work have impact on public policy and frontline practice across the different sectors engaged in health communicatios.

Working on Health Literacy is a strategic opportunity to respond to the future public health needs in terms of protecting and promoting health and preventing disease. In Portugal the focus is on turning words into action and creating ecosystems that transform science into knowledge and knowledge into behavior.

Health literacy prevents the public from diseases, protects patients from suffering, improves the effectiveness of healthcare services, and ensures the professional satisfaction of the health care professionals.

Education and learning are at the very core of what makes ‘health for all’ possible. Improving health literacy in populations provides the foundation on which citizens are enabled to play an active role in improving their own health and that of the communities. Instituting a place-based “lifelong learning for health” culture could play a key role in building resilience for individuals, communities and cities.