International Literacy Day 2008

"Literacy is the best remedy": This is the theme of’ this year’s International Literacy Day, which is celebrated annually on 8 September.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated the direct correlation between people’s level of literacy and their chances to maintain good health. For instance, a study conducted in 32 countries shows that women with secondary education are five times more likely to be informed about HIV/AIDS than women who are illiterate. Another example: the rate of infant mortality is higher when the mother can neither read nor write.

“An illiterate person is simply more vulnerable to ill-health, and less likely to seek medical help for themselves, their family or their community,” notes the Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, in the message he will issue for Literacy Day. “Literacy is a powerful yet too often overlooked remedy to health threats, with the potential to promote better nutrition, disease prevention and treatment.”

Some 774 million people, roughly one out of five adults in the world, can still neither read nor write; 75 million children remain excluded from the educational system. In this context, many countries will be unable to reach the target of increasing adult literacy by 50% by 2015. This is one of the six Education For All (EFA) goals set by countries during the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar.

Notable progress has nonetheless been made. Over the last few years, the number of illiterate adults has dropped from 871 million (1985-1994) to 776 million (2000-2006). Over the same period, the global literacy rate rose to 84%, from 76% in the previous period. Current estimates place the world literacy rate at 90% by 2015, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

These increases are relative, however, because in countries with rapid demographic growth, they do not necessarily indicate a decline in the number of illiterate people. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, literacy has increased by 8% but at the same time the number of illiterate adults has gone up from 133 to 163 million people.

The celebration of International Literacy Day will include the award of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes,* recognizing programmes operating in Brazil, Ethiopia, South Africa and Zambia. The literacy projects selected this year were chosen because of their positive impact on public health.

A roundtable on literacy and health will be held at UNESCO Headquarters on 8 September. Speakers will be Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Deputy Executive director; Mehnaz Aziz, Director-General and co-founder of Children’s Global Network, Pakistan; Hiroki Nakatani, Assistant Director-General - HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization; Michael J. Kelly, Jesuit priest, professor emeritus at the University of Zambia and global HIV/AIDS activist.

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The day’s key events:
10-11.30 a.m. – Roundtable “Literacy and Health”
11.45 a.m.-12.30 p.m. – Award ceremony for the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes
Place: Room 4, UNESCO, 125 avenue de Suffren, 75007 Paris

* More about the laureates and the Day and the laureates: www.unesco.org/education/

United Nations Literacy Decade Unit: literacy-day@unesco.org

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Journalists who wish to cover the roundtable must request accreditation from
Isabelle Le Fournis
Tel: +33 (0)1 45 68 17 48 – i.le-fournis@unesco.org

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:UNESCO Press Release No.2008-74
• 27-08-2008