New WHO report maps global health literacy strategies to cut costs and reduce gaps

The World Health Organization’s new report, Integrative review of national health literacy policy blueprints as a tool for change toward health literate systems, emerges from collaboration with the Global Health Literacy Academy in Denmark and expert reviewers from the University of Haifa in Israel, the Technical University of Munich in Germany, the University of Sydney in Australia, and the University of Louvain in Belgium. Together, these institutions provide the intellectual backbone for a study that frames health literacy not as a luxury, but as a fundamental right. Defined as the ability to find, understand, judge, and use health information, health literacy influences everything from how patients follow treatment plans to how societies withstand pandemics. Yet research reveals that in Europe alone, one in three adults face serious literacy challenges, a trend echoed worldwide. The report argues that this is not just an individual problem but a systemic one, requiring governments to craft enabling environments where information is clear, services are accessible, and decisions are inclusive.

How Nations Are Writing the Blueprint

The review analyzed nine national health literacy “blueprints” issued between 2008 and 2022 by China, the United States, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, and Portugal. These plans took the form of action strategies, frameworks, or national statements, each reflecting distinct political contexts but united by the urgency to act. China’s journey began in 2005 with a large-scale initiative that set measurable targets and created a monitoring system. Successive plans expanded focus to chronic diseases, maternal care, and even traditional Chinese medicine. By 2030, the government aims to lift health literacy to 30 percent nationwide. The United States launched its first National Action Plan in 2010, declaring that every citizen has the right to understandable health information. Built on seven broad goals, the plan spanned clinical communication, education systems, adult learning, and community outreach.

Australia’s 2014 National Statement placed responsibility squarely on organizations, pushing hospitals and clinics to adapt as health-literate institutions. A new strategy framework now under consultation seeks to further embed literacy in preventive health. Scotland led with two ambitious plans: Making it Easy (2014) and Making it Easier (2017–2025). Both sought to simplify health interactions, reduce inequalities, and boost patient confidence. New Zealand’s 2015 framework called for a cultural shift, urging the health system to reduce “literacy demands” placed on patients, from deciphering appointment letters to understanding prescriptions. Germany, shocked by survey data showing half its adults had limited literacy, responded with a research-driven National Action Plan in 2018. Its 15 recommendations covered education, workplaces, chronic care, media, and digital health. Norway launched a strategy in 2019 that tied literacy directly to people-centred care, encouraging professionals to ask patients “What matters to you?” as a way of grounding treatment in lived realities. Portugal created a dedicated Division of Literacy, Health, and Well-being in 2017 and followed with a 2018 action plan centered on a life-course approach, supported by digital modernization such as the SNS Portal, which allows citizens to access records and resources online.

Shared Principles Across Borders

Despite their differences, these blueprints share several core principles. Each acknowledges low health literacy as a public health concern that requires systemic action. They stress the need for leadership from governments, while also empowering individuals to take greater control of their health. Literacy is reframed as an asset, not a deficit, to avoid stigma and instead promote engagement. Many adopt a life-course perspective, recognizing that needs evolve from childhood to old age, while others highlight horizontal integration across policy areas from education to digital innovation. Crucially, it all stressed that health literacy cannot advance without sustainable funding. Measurement, interventions, and evaluation need financing if strategies are to translate from paper to practice.

The Gaps Between Policy and Practice

The report does not shy away from criticism. It reveals that implementation lags behind ambition in most countries. In the United States and New Zealand, political changes slowed or disrupted plans. Elsewhere, strategies often rely on enabling language but fail to secure resources for concrete programs. This disconnect risks turning blueprints into symbolic gestures rather than tools for transformation. WHO warns that without long-term funding streams, health literacy risks being sidelined in favor of more immediate political priorities. The lesson is clear: durable, adaptable policies that can survive changes in government are essential. Australia has taken steps in this direction by incorporating health literacy into accreditation standards for health organizations, thereby embedding it into the fabric of its system.

The Road Ahead: Building Health-Literate Societies

Looking forward, WHO calls for stronger international cooperation and the creation of a global health literacy data dashboard to inform evidence-based policymaking. It urges countries to integrate literacy into broader agendas, from digital health strategies to cancer control and planetary health. The report stresses that health literacy must be treated as systemic, not individual, because the burdens of low literacy, poorer outcomes, higher costs, and growing inequalities are borne by societies as a whole. By embedding literacy into education, accreditation, and preventive care, countries can cut costs, reduce disparities, and rebuild trust in health systems. The experiences of pioneering nations demonstrate that progress is possible: China shows the power of measurable targets, Scotland highlights cultural redesign, and Germany underscores the value of research-driven recommendations. But the real challenge lies in turning policy into practice, sustaining momentum across political cycles, and ensuring that no citizen is left behind. Empowering people with health literacy is ultimately an investment in resilient, equitable societies that can face the health challenges of the future with confidence.