Literacy has often been defined as those aged 15 and older who can
read and write. According to Wikipedia (2011), the overall literacy rate
for Bangladesh is 56.5%. This is a significant rise from 29.2% in 1981
(Bangladesh Literacy Rate, 2011). A 2008 UNICEF estimate of gender
disparity indicates that the literacy rate for men is 62% and 51% for
women (Wikipedia, 2011). The Bangladesh Government and various NGOs have
invested significantly in education and literacy. According to a UNESCO
report in 2000, there were more than 450 NGOs working in the field of
literacy. These NGOs represented nearly 163,000 ongoing literacy centers
(UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2002).
Free education for all children aged six to ten is technically a constitutional right (Wikipedia, 2011 and Asia Info Bangladesh Education, 2011). However, many children are unable to afford school supplies, uniforms, or the necessary tuition for coaching classes that will help them pass their courses and move on to the next grade.
Some studies done by UNICEF (2000-2004) indicated that access to education for girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is significantly lower than most other regions in Bangladesh. The distance from home to school is often prohibitive for girls. Socio-economic factors as well as prevailing attitudes toward girls’ education discourage girls from attending school (World Food Programme, 2011).
“There
is a clear relationship between household socio-economic status and
literacy. Almost three out of every four heads of vulnerable households
are illiterate, compared to 22 percent of non-vulnerable household
heads” (World Food Programme, 2011). Low levels of female education
mean a lack of female presence in community decision-making processes.
This, in turn, relates to community issues involving poor health and
hygiene practices, a high incidence of preventable diseases, child
malnutrition, and low family income (World Food Programme, 2011).
What does all of this really mean for Memorial Christian Hospital and College of Health Sciences? It means that each year we will probably treat a significant number of patients and family members who cannot read or write. The literature we give them on health teaching must be reviewed many times and simplified. Pictures and stories may need to replace charts, diagrams, and lists of “do’s and don’ts.” Low literacy levels are linked to poverty, meaning many of our patients may be very poor.
Low literacy rates in our area contribute to the fact that we continue to see a large number of patients with malnutrition and preventable diseases. Illiteracy means that we just can’t “take anything for granted.” Basic assumptions regarding hygiene and nutrition may be totally foreign concepts to many of our patient population. For those of us making a rapid transition from the “developed world of litigation in medicine” to complete “health illiteracy”…this represents a radical shift in thinking about how we go about communicating with patients. Obtaining “informed consent” takes on a whole new dimension.
Free education for all children aged six to ten is technically a constitutional right (Wikipedia, 2011 and Asia Info Bangladesh Education, 2011). However, many children are unable to afford school supplies, uniforms, or the necessary tuition for coaching classes that will help them pass their courses and move on to the next grade.
Some studies done by UNICEF (2000-2004) indicated that access to education for girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is significantly lower than most other regions in Bangladesh. The distance from home to school is often prohibitive for girls. Socio-economic factors as well as prevailing attitudes toward girls’ education discourage girls from attending school (World Food Programme, 2011).
“There
is a clear relationship between household socio-economic status and
literacy. Almost three out of every four heads of vulnerable households
are illiterate, compared to 22 percent of non-vulnerable household
heads” (World Food Programme, 2011). Low levels of female education
mean a lack of female presence in community decision-making processes.
This, in turn, relates to community issues involving poor health and
hygiene practices, a high incidence of preventable diseases, child
malnutrition, and low family income (World Food Programme, 2011).What does all of this really mean for Memorial Christian Hospital and College of Health Sciences? It means that each year we will probably treat a significant number of patients and family members who cannot read or write. The literature we give them on health teaching must be reviewed many times and simplified. Pictures and stories may need to replace charts, diagrams, and lists of “do’s and don’ts.” Low literacy levels are linked to poverty, meaning many of our patients may be very poor.
Low literacy rates in our area contribute to the fact that we continue to see a large number of patients with malnutrition and preventable diseases. Illiteracy means that we just can’t “take anything for granted.” Basic assumptions regarding hygiene and nutrition may be totally foreign concepts to many of our patient population. For those of us making a rapid transition from the “developed world of litigation in medicine” to complete “health illiteracy”…this represents a radical shift in thinking about how we go about communicating with patients. Obtaining “informed consent” takes on a whole new dimension.
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