HEALTH LITERACY RESOURCES AND SURVEY ANALYSIS
Health literacy is one of the key challenges facing public health systems in the 21st century. This term
refers not only to people’s ability to read and understand health information, but also to be able to
find, critically evaluate and use it to make informed decisions about their own health, disease
prevention and use of health services. Health literacy is a bridge between knowledge and behavior: it
connects science-based information with the healthy choices an individual makes in their daily lives.
In recent years, the European Union and the World Health Organization have paid special attention to
health literacy as a determinant of health, along with factors such as socio-economic status, access to
medical services and lifestyle. Low health literacy is associated with worse health outcomes: higher
mortality, higher incidence of chronic diseases, lower participation in preventive examinations and more
frequent hospitalisations.
This report can be viewed here: MAPPING REPORT BULGARIA.
