Functional Literacy, Health, and Quality of Life

Many policymakers and development planners now realize that people are fundamental to all development processes and that investment in human development provides the highest rate of economic return. This return is enormously increased when one is dealing with an educated population. The human development approach brings together the production and distribution of material resources as well as the expansion and use of human resources through focusing on increasing people's self-reliance and choice. In this approach, functional literacy has a major role to play. This article addresses two aspects of functional literacy: first, the role of education as an essential factor in preparing people to lead healthy, socially rewarding, and economically productive lives; and, second, the relevance of functional literacy to the improvement of health status, especially that of women. An interlinking approach to improving health status and quality of life through interventions that combine functional literacy, local health services, and viable economic activities is presented. This approach can be incorporated into development planning and processes so that improvement in health status and quality of life is attained along with economic objectives.