Working Together to Improve Children’s Health Literacy in Northern Ireland

Health literacy in Northern Ireland is supported primarily by the Departments of Health and Education. Policies which refer to health literacy focus on the individual across their life cycle as well as acknowledge the interaction between the individual and environmental, political and social factors. While to date no direct policy reference is made to children’s health literacy, nor is there a national specific child health literacy indicator, improving child health and well-being is central within these policies. This chapter will explore how health literacy in Northern Ireland is often health driven but education delivered and is starting to lead to collaborative projects across a range of sectors, sometimes beyond health, education and communities, in which co-design is an approach increasingly adopted. This chapter will explore the opportunities and challenges that exist in collaborating on child’s health literacy in Northern Ireland, including the need to ensure a basic level of health literacy is delivered to all children.