WHEREAS large numbers of residents of British Columbia have lower levels of literacy and health literacy than they require to understand public health information without assistance.
WHEREAS low literacy and low health literacy have been found to be directly and indirectly associated with poor health outcomes and arise out of inequitable access to opportunities to acquire the skills needed to access, understand, evaluate and communicate public health information.
WHEREAS improving the skills required for literacy and health literacy are key to improving the health status of all British Columbians.
WHEREAS initiatives to address low literacy and health literacy in BC are ad-hoc and uncoordinated.
BE IT RESOLVED that the Public Health Association of British Columbia advocate for and support the development and implementation of a provincial health literacy plan and collaborate with other professional, community groups and organizations to improve health literacy skills and provide the supports that people require to find, understand, evaluate, and communicate health information no matter what their levels of health literacy.
Irv Rootman – Sponsor
Marjorie MacDonald – Sponsor
Dated: October 29, 2008
Download: Resolution of Health Literacy