Health literacy in schools on the political agenda in Germany
In Germany, there are a number of educational and health policy activities on health literacy in schools that have had an impact both nationally and internationally. In the following, the three most important policy strategies and approaches in reation to health literacy are briefly presented.
National Action Plan Health Literacy (NAP)
Since 2018, Germany has a National Action Plan on Health Literacy (NAP), which was developed by civil society actors in a participatory process. You can access the NAP strategy here. Based on the analysis of health literacy in particular in relation to policy, the NAP evolved into a strategy centering aroud 15 recommendations, the very first of which proposes to "enabe the education system to promote health literacy early in life". For more information on health literacy in schools in the NAP, you can read Policy Brief #1 and the associated publication. The NAP is currently in its second funding period, in which some selected areas of the NAP recommendations will now be further developed and implemented, also with the participation of the TUM Chair of Health Literacy.
Alliance for Health Literacy at the Federal Ministry of Health
The German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) also recognized the relevance of health literacy for health and society some time ago and launched the Alliance for Health Literacy in a joint declaration with the leading organizations in the health sector and the chair of the Conference of Health Ministers of the German States. School and education are mentioned in all three core action fields of the Alliance goals, with an explicit call for action within the first of its proposed action areas: "More health literacy through health education". In 2020, the first symposium on digital health literacy was organized by the Alliance for Health Literacy and in collaboration with the NAP. Meanwhile, the BMG has even become a lead agent of health literacy policy in the nternational setting, exemplified by their newly established health literacy department carrying out an agenda to promote health literacy in Germany. The department includes BMG´s policy experts with many years of health literacy experience as well as recetnly launched funding framework, which has resulted in numerous projects on health literacy in Gerrmany, including the HeLit-Schools project and the HLO project. In addition, the BMG website "Information on the Coronavirus Pandemic" can also be considered part of the extended health literacy strategy, by providing user-targeted and easy-to-understand health information through their public health communication campaign.
Health Promotion and Prevention Law
Besides the two above strategies, the Health Promotion and Prevention Law is an important health policy strategy, calling for strengthening health literacy in schools and families. You can read a summary with the key themes of the Law here. Important questions about the Law are answered here. For a comprehensive overview of activities related to the Law, please visit the website of the National Prevention Conference, which was established together with the Law on July 25, 2015, in order to develop and update the national prevention strategy. In addition, the supplement paragraph "§ 20k SGB V Promotion of digital health literacy" was adopted in 2021 in order to put emphasis on addressing the promotion of digital health literacy - also among school-aged children - in Germany.