A Perspective of Children’s Health Literacy in Taiwan

The understanding of health literacy in Taiwan is transforming and accelerating with the assistance from international and local partners. This chapter will provide an overview of health literacy in Taiwan, focusing on the organizational structures required to support health literacy to be embedded in national frameworks across health promotion activities. Taiwan’s Health Literacy Action Plan highlights the importance of adopting health-in-all policies, with a holistic, ecological approach to advance health literacy. This chapter includes case examples on how children’s health literacy has been advanced through the Health Promoting Schools approach, linking partnerships between the health and education sector. The chapter also examines the role of the medical professionals to determine how they can influence and support children to develop health literacy in relation to medical knowledge, treatments, and medications. Taiwan’s rich history and traditional values are used as a resourceful opportunity to understand the role of communities to support the advancement of health literacy through the built environment and existing practices. This chapter concludes by contributing insights on the changing nature of Taiwan’s population and identifying opportunities for improvement, placing the voices of children at the core, in shaping the future of health literacy.