Addressing the Health Literacy Needs of Children and Communities in Canada

In Canada, addressing the health literacy needs of children and their communities has largely been taken on by the health sector. The education system has also played a role in addressing health literacy and in collaboration with public health, interest groups, and community agencies has focused on addressing mental health literacy and nutrition literacy. Currently, efforts to address health literacy of groups that have lower health outcomes in Canada have been few and have included limited work with Indigenous peoples and newcomers to Canada. There are two main challenges to the growth and spread of approaches to meet the health literacy needs of children and their communities in Canada. These are (1) lack of a national strategy and (2) lack of communication between programs that become siloed in different parts of the country. There are several ways that the need for improved communication and sharing of resources can be addressed. These ways include ensuring collaborative design, addressing cultural safety in healthcare, fostering communities of practice, and addressing the use of technology and social media.