M-POHL is open to all member states of WHO-Europe and enables associated membership for non-WHO European countries which are interested in joining at least one of the M-POHL projects. Observer status is also possible. In the Governance and Work Structure of M-POHL details on becoming a member, associated member and observer are outlined.
Why participate?
M-POHL contributes to the much-needed evidence on health literacy. M-POHL connects expertise from research and policy and fosters evidence-based policy and practice. It puts health literacy on the international and national agenda sustainably. Thus, participation in M-POHL provides a high-level international exchange on up-to-date health literacy developments, data, evidence, and lessons learned to improve research and national policies, as well as participating in framing the international health literacy agenda in close collaboration with WHO and other international bodies. Such agenda-setting for health literacy is needed more than ever since the orientation in the field of health is becoming increasingly challenging due to a number of dynamic trends, including health threats induced by the climate crisis, the chances and challenges of the digital transformation, pandemics like COVID-19, mental health challenges in the context of the current global multi-crisis, and the fast-growing medical and health knowledge and technologies.
Health literacy can help to mitigate the effects of these crises on health on different levels: health literacy guides and empowers individuals to increase their chances for health. Data on population health literacy and on health literate organizations, as well as evidence on effective interventions to improve health literacy, support decision makers in developing national policies on improving health literacy in populations and organizations, including healthcare systems.