Did you know that around 59% of Australian adults don’t have enough knowledge and skills to understand and use general information about their health and wellbeing?

In Tasmania, this figure rises to around 63% of adults.

Health literacy is more than being able to read and understand information about health. Actually, it’s about more than just physical health, too.

Health literacy is the knowledge and skills needed to find, understand and use information about physical, mental and social wellbeing.

It can have a big impact on whether Tasmanians get the most out of the health, child health, disability, housing and other DHHS services they might need.

Because of this, DHHS is developing a Communication and Health Literacy Action Plan. The Action Plan will include a range of strategies to help people access, understand and use information about their health and wellbeing and our services and care.

Tackling this issue will help Tasmanians be more actively involved in managing their own health and wellbeing.

For more information about the Communications and Health Literacy Project, email the working group via health.literacy@dhhs.tas.gov.au