Message
of Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General on International Literacy Day
One in five adults – some 774 million – are illiterate, and thus
live with no access to the vast global store of written communication.Seventy-five million children are not in school
and millions more young people leave school without a level of literacy
adequate for productive and active participation in society.These would be devastating numbers at any
time, for individuals and societies alike; that they occur in the context of today’s
information society should drive home the urgency of efforts to promote
literacy throughout the world.
The theme of this year’s observance of International Literacy
Day, “Literacy and Health”, is meant to draw more attention to the links
between the two.Illiteracy has a direct
impact on human health.It prevents
people from being able to read the instructions on a medicine bottle.It means that people are less likely to know
facts about AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases.And because two thirds of those who are
illiterate are women and girls, who often bear the burden of caring for sick
members of their families, it means that they will be less likely to know about
prevention and support services, and how to use life-saving medicines and other
treatments.
To increase literacy skills, well-defined policies and increased
investment will be essential.Literacy
is indispensable for achieving the Millennium Development Goals targeting
maternal health and combating HIV and malaria, and for addressing some of the
world’s most important public health challenges.On this International Literacy Day, let us
all – Governments, the UN family, donors and civil society – translate
this commitment into more vigorous action. Literacy for all will benefit us all.
08.09.08
