HealthNest, the initiative aiming to improve Health Literacy
“35% of Belgians find it difficult to obtain, understand and use information related to their health. 10% feel they lack the skills to properly apprehend health related matters.”1
Behind these troubling figures lurks a double reality. The healthcare system developed to support our healing is increasingly complex. The (social) media messages claiming to prevent our illnesses are increasingly unverified. More than ever, the critical evaluation of health information can make the difference between life and death.
Since 2013, HealthNest has been committed to turning the trend around. HealthNest is a yearly initiative that searches, accompanies, and promotes Belgian projects in the field of health literacy, increasing awareness around them and helping them realize a significant impact in the Belgian health landscape. Throughout its work, it is set on improving existing and potential patients’ skills to seek out, understand, evaluate and apply health information.
Joined forces for health literacy
HealthNest is a coalition of concerned professionals and organisations committed to improve health literacy in Belgium. We help key actors and stakeholders pool together their experiences with health literacy and define what approaches have the most potential to improve the situation on the ground.
HealthNest whitepaper:
Accelerating health literacy
In this whitepaper, we explore the pressing matter of health literacy. On the one hand, we provide a comprehensive framework for organisations to implement initiatives with the purpose of addressing health literacy. And on the other hand, we specifically turn to policy makers in Belgium and discuss their potential roles. Health literacy is not merely a patient concern but a social imperative. In an age of complex healthcare systems and information overload, organisations as well as policy makers must actively engage in strategies that address health literacy, reduce disparities, and foster better community well being.
Want to stay informed on Health literacy?
HealthNest is a coalition of concerned professionals and organisations committed to improve health literacy in Belgium. We help key actors and stakeholders pool together their experiences with health literacy and define what approaches have the most potential to improve the situation on the ground.
Facts on health literacy
“35% of Belgians find it difficult to obtain, understand and use information related to their health. 10% feel they lack the skills to properly apprehend health related matters.1
In Belgium, the health literacy level appears problematic for 30 to 45% of the population.2
One third of the population aged 15 years and over (33%) has a low level of health literacy, meaning they do not have sufficient skills to make decisions about their health.1
Low levels of health literacy are more prevalent among women (35%) than men (32%), and in Brussels and Wallonia (38% and 36%, resp.) than in Flanders (29%).2
Our events
HealthNest Conference 2023 : Capacity-Building
and Impactful Partnerships
June 12, 2023
Health literacy in Belgium: from ideas to action
May 10, 2022
HealthNest ambitions for 2023
November 15, 2022
Analyzing the health literacy landscape for more impact
In 2021, HealthNest created alongside its board, a dedicated task force. Its role is to first bring clarity to the complex issue of health literacy, which lies at the crossroads of health and communication.
Through a Systems Thinking exercise, HealthNest wants to ensure the projects it supports to reach their successful completion with a measurable impact on health wisdom. It also wants to accelerate sensitization around health literacy.
Healthnest is an MSD initiative
At MSD, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical many in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable, and healthy future for all people and communities.
References:
1: Website “https://uclouvain.be/fr/decouvrir/actualites/1-belge-sur-3-comprend-mal-les-informations-concernant-sa-sante.html”. Last accessed on 05/05/2023.
2: Website “https://www.healthybelgium.be/en/health-status/determinants-of-health/health-literacy””. Last accessed on 05/05/2023.
