World Health Communication Associates

Reaching the Reaching the “Disadvantaged” “Disadvantaged”

“We Love Eating”PAU education project

Scientific board and city coordinator meeting Barcelona

16 June 2014

Franklin Apfel MD, MHS – Managing Director,World Health Communication Associates

8 Action Verbs

• 1. Contextualise• 2. Identify• 3. Universalise • 4. Exchange • 5. Integrate• 6. Demonstrate• 7. Counter• 8 Learn

Contextualise Enjoy Shopping for Healthy Food

Enjoy Cooking

Enjoy colourful fruits and vegetables

Enjoy Physical exercise

Enjoy Drinking Water

Enjoy eating together

IdentifyAbout 1 in 2 persons have inadequate or

problematic health literacy (HLS-EU Consortium 2012)

European Health Literacy Survey-Tool

What does it measure ?Accessing, understanding , appraising and applying

Why is Health Literacy important

Health Outcomes of Weak Health Literacy•Poorer health choices•Riskier behaviours•Less use of preventive services •More delayed diagnoses •Poorer understanding of medical conditions•Less adherence to medical instructions •Poorer self-management skills •Increased risk of hospitalization •Increased mortality risk•Higher health costs

WHO Healthy City publication – includes attributes of

health literate http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/urban-health/

publications/2013/health-literacy.-the-solid-facts

12

Social Gradient

Universalise

Exchange

Messages from “poorly reached”1.Know more about us.2.Reframe ‘hard-to-reach’ as ‘poorly-reached’ system failures.3.View immunisation as one part of larger health challenges.4.Integrate us into mainstream programmes.5.Involve us in all stages of programmes aimed at enhancing our inclusion and health.6.Adapt governance and health systems to be more inclusive.7.Health Mediators and other community health workers are critically important resources – they need to be supported.8.Be accessible and respectful.9.Beware of incentives that could be viewed as bribes for compliance.

Integrate

Demonstrate

Attributes of Health Literate City•Provides political leadership •Measures/Integrates•Trains workforce•Engages with target populations•Applies universal precautions•Aids navigation•Provides understandable materials

Counter

Learn

Thank You

franklin@whcaonline.orgwww.whcaonline.org

Twitter- @franklinapfel