International Literacy Day and the Importance of Health Literacy inthe Wake of COVID-19
International Literacy Day and the Importance of Health Literacy inthe Wake of COVID-19
COVID-19 has made everyone realise how important health and hygiene is, to live a normal and happy life. Since it’s outbreak in 2020, incidents of contagious microbial infections have shot up, which means health literacy is essential to prevent the contraction and spread as much as possible. And with the International Literacy Day (8th September) just around the corner, spreading health awareness far and wide is the need of the hour. You already know how medical facilities around the world were inadequate to tackle the coronavirus, until vaccines made an appearance to better the situation. People not having enough knowledge about the virus and not being aware of hygienic practices also added to the challenge. Which is why, educating everyone from a young age about healthy habits and common illnesses is the only way forward for a safer world. Plus, getting a health insurance in India is a must, so that your finances don’t take a hit if you need to be hospitalised for a medical emergency.
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is the ability to receive, process and understand health information to make the right healthcare decisions. However, to improve health literacy skills, people must first improve their general literacy skills. They must also apply their other skills, such as reading, listening, analytical and decision making, to understand health literacy better.
Why is health literacy important?
Health literacy is important for individuals, communities as well as societies. We are dealing with a pandemic that is posing considerable health threats to people of all ages. In such cases, health literacy is an essential skill. Here are some reasons why health literacy is important:
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To help people understand and use health information appropriately and make well-informed decisions for their health and wellbeing.
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To access the right healthcare services on time, fill forms correctly and share necessary health information with healthcare practitioners.
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To understand and adhere to prescription and treatment instructions for quick recovery.
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To be able to utilise disease prevention information and services correctly. This will prevent their condition from deteriorating further and put them on the road to recovery.
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To reduce healthcare costs and economic burden on societies.
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To check the spread of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19. In many cases, caregivers and domestic workers have limited health literacy due to certain socio-cultural disadvantages. Hence, it is important to create awareness among them so that they take necessary healthcare measures and precautions.
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To meet the health literacy needs of underprivileged societies. This will help reduce inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of all.
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To help people, especially those who are underprivileged and less educated, understand and follow public health recommendations. This is particularly important to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
What is the impact of COVID-19 on health literacy?
The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious and dangerous. Considering the low percentage of health literacy in India and around the world, important information regarding the virus was and is being spread in easy-to-understand languages and ways.
Since the novel coronavirus is yet to be tamed completely, health literacy is crucial for these three reasons.
1. Health literacy is important to keep communicable as well as non-communicable diseases in check.
2. It is important to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.
3. Apart from preparing the healthcare system to deal with serious issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, health literacy among individuals is important to solve such issues.
Ways to improve health literacy
To improve health literacy, it is important to make it easier for people to understand, access and use health information. Here are some ways to do so:
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By communicating information in a way that is easy to understand and remember. For this, one can provide information in different forms, such as oral, written, pictures, diagrams and audio-video demonstrations.
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By using local or simple language.
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By providing simple instructional and directional signs.
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By providing the right orientation and ongoing training to healthcare personnel.
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By providing the right information based on the needs of a person and ensuring that they have understood it.
Conclusion
All in all, it will be possible to conquer the COVID-19 pandemic for good only if worldwide health literacy becomes a reality. However,widespread illiteracy in many countries and people’s inability to understand important information have proved to be major hurdles. Hence, this year, on International Literacy Day, it is important to discuss and reflect on how effective and innovative teaching methodologies can help enhance the education system in our country. Educating people on health and other important areas of life is imperative to create a healthy and happy environment.
Apart fromhealth literacy, taking health insurance is vital, especially if you want to avail quality and timely treatment without worrying about exorbitant medical bills.So, if you don’t have insurance already, compare different plans online and choose the best health insurance in India to stay covered against medical uncertainties.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
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