Brief report on the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) position statement on health literacy: a practical vision for a health literate world

Levin-Zamir, D. [School of Public Health, University of Haifa] Nutbeam, D. [Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney] Sorensen, K. [Global Health Literacy Academy, Risskov, Denmark] Rowlands, G. [Institute of Health and Society, University of Newcastle] Van den Broucke, Stephan [UCL] Pelikan, J. [Institute for Public Health Austria] et al.

The IUHPE Position Statement on Health Literacy provides an overview of the evidence and debate on health literacy. Developed by the IUHPE Global Working Group on Health Literacy (GWG-HL), it provides a basis for advocacy among stakeholders and partners in health promotion. This article aims to inform policy-makers, practitioners and researchers about the Position Statement so that they can use it to advocate for health literacy research, policy and practice. The Position Statement includes background information on the concept and definition of health literacy, and describes its importance as a modifiable determinant of health. It calls for global action to improve health literacy in populations; offers action points in policy, practice and research; and advocates for a systems approach to health literacy underpinned by global, national, regional and local policies. This article summarizes the development process, highlights the Position Statement’s main points and reports on current dissemination and implementation activities.