24/10/2026
๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ง๐ โค๏ธโ๐ฉน
Every October, we observe Health Literacy Monthโa time to highlight the importance of understanding health information and knowing how to use it to make informed decisions. But being health literate should not be limited to one month.
Every day, we encounter health informationโfrom social media posts and news articles to medical advice, prescriptions, and health services. Knowing how to understand, evaluate, and use that information can help us make better choices for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
This Health Literacy Month, let us learn to question, verify, understand, and act when it comes to our health. Because being health literate is not just about knowing moreโit is about knowing what to do with what we know.
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ?
Health literacy is the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information and services to make decisions that promote and maintain good health and well-being (World Health Organization [WHO], 2025).
Being health literate means more than simply being able to read a health article or follow a doctor's instructions. It also involves being able to:
๐ ACCESS reliable health information and services
๐ง UNDERSTAND what the information means
โ๏ธ EVALUATE whether the information is trustworthy and relevant
โ
USE what you learn to make informed health decisions
Health literacy also involves thinking critically about health information and being able to communicate your needs when seeking health care or making decisions about your health (WHO, 2025).
๐ช๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ?
Health literacy affects how people make decisions about their health. When people can find trustworthy information, understand it, and use it appropriately, they are better equipped to take part in their own health care, prevent health problems, and make informed choices (WHO, 2025; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024).
It also benefits communities. Better health literacy can encourage people to participate in community health efforts and become more involved in addressing health concerns and health inequalities (WHO, 2025). In other words, health literacy helps turn information into informed action.
๐ง๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐๐ : ๐ช๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐
Health literacy is not determined by education or reading ability alone. Even people who read well may struggle when health information contains unfamiliar medical terms, complicated statistics, difficult instructions, or confusing risks and benefits (WHO, 2025; CDC, 2024).
Health literacy can also be affected by factors such as:
โข Age
โข Educational attainment
โข Income and occupation
โข Language and literacy skills
โข Access to health services
โข Availability of reliable and understandable health information
โข Social and economic conditions
(WHO, 2025)
In the Philippines, a national survey of 2,303 Filipinos aged 15โ70 found that 51.5% had limited health literacy (Tolabing et al., 2022). Put simply, about 1 in every 2 people surveyed had difficulty with some of the skills needed to access, understand, evaluate, and use health information.
This shows that health literacy is not simply an individual responsibility. Health information and health services also need to be clear, accessible, trustworthy, and easy to use.
๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ก ๐ช๐ ๐๐ข?
Improving health literacy requires action from both health systems and individuals.
๐๏ธ ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ & ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ
โ Make health information clear, understandable, and actionable
โ Provide information in appropriate languages and formats
โ Improve communication between health professionals and the people they serve
โ Train healthcare and education professionals in effective health communication
โ Strengthen access to trustworthy health information and services
โ Assess health literacy needs to guide policies and programs
These approaches can make health systems easier to understand and navigate, while helping communities make more informed health decisions (WHO, 2025; CDC, 2024).
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฆ
You can start building your health literacy with simple, practical steps:
๐ญ. ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง ๐ช๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ. Choose information from recognized health organizations, healthcare professionals, and credible institutions.
๐ฎ. ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐. Look at who published the information, when it was published, and whether reliable sources support the claim.
๐ฏ. ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ ๐๐๐ง. If you do not understand a medical term, instruction, number, or recommendation, ask a qualified health professional.
๐ฐ. ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก. Do not rely on a single social media post or sourceโespecially when making important health decisions.
๐ฑ. ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ. When consulting a healthcare professional, ask what the diagnosis, treatment, medication, or recommendation means and what you should do next.
๐ฒ. ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ช๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ. Before forwarding health information, make sure it is accurate, current, and from a trustworthy source.
Remember: You do not have to know everything about health to be health literate. You need to know how to find, understand, evaluate, and use reliable information.
๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ
A health-literate community is not one where everyone knows everything. It is a community where people can find trustworthy information, understand what it means, ask when they are unsure, and use it to make informed decisions. By making health information easier to understand and sharing reliable knowledge responsibly, we can help create healthier and more empowered communities. And while October gives us a reason to talk about health literacy, every day is an opportunity to become more health literate.
๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ
For trustworthy health information, start with credible sources such as:
World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/
Department of Health (DOH): https://doh.gov.ph/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/index.html
Food and Drug Administration Philippines (FDA): https://www.fda.gov.ph/
MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine): https://medlineplus.gov/
When in doubt, ask a qualified healthcare professional.
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช๐๐ฅ๐๐. ๐
References
โข Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Understanding health literacy. https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/about/understanding.html
โข Tolabing, Ma. C. C., Co, K. C. D., Mendoza, O. M., Mira, N. R. C., Quizon, R. R., Tempongko, Ma. S. B., Mamangon, M. A. M., Salido, I. T. O., & Chang, P. W. S. (2022). Prevalence of limited health literacy in the Philippines: First national survey. HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.3928/24748307-20220419-01
โข World Health Organization. (2025). Health literacy. In World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/health-literacy
๐: Chelsey Janne Encinas
๐จ: Lance Matthew Balana
