Health Literacy and the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria

Introduction In the 21st century, Africa in general and Nigeria in particular is faced with various developmental challenges. We have a large population putting pressure on existing social amenities, we have problem of inadequate electricity to power industries and small and medium enterprises. We have problem of youth unemployment. We have basic water and sanitation problems and a low literacy rate. The relationship between literacy and health in today's knowledge-based world further puts pressure on countries like Nigeria to raise its literacy rates if it can survive in today's competitive global market. This is based on the fact that a knowledge-based economy relies primarily on the use of ideas rather than physical abilities and on the application of technology rather than transformation of raw materials or the exploitation of raw materials. In order to tackle these developmental challenges, the United Nation in 2000 adopted a set of goals referred to as The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to fast track human development especially in the underdeveloped countries. On the part of the underdeveloped countries, they pledged to increase and improve political space, be more transparent, invest in their people through education and health. On the other hand, the developed countries agreed to increase aid, debt cancellation and fairer trade (UNDP, 2006). The Millennium Development Goals are: 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve material health 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development. The goals set for the 2015, are supposed to improve the human development index for the poorer countries. With eight years to the end of the target, this paper intends to focus on how literacy can contribute to the achievement of three of the goals; MDG 4, MDG 5, and MDG 6. This is because, literacy has a major role to play in educating citizens about child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS and other health issues (Haladu, 2006). There is a groundswell of opinion on the fundamental importance of education as a means of development, and as part of development (Nyerere, 2006). Education which serves as a means of expansion of man's consciousness, and therefore of his power over himself, his environment and his community, must therefore ultimately be what we mean by development (Nyerere, 2006). In this context, development is for man, by man and of man. Nyerere, sees the purpose of education as the liberation of man from the restrain and limitation of ignorance and dependency. This means that literacy and adult education have to be directed at enabling men to develop themselves. Nyerere identifies two main functions of literacy (Nyerere, 2006). The first is to inspire both a desire for change, and an understanding that change is possible. Secondly, to help people to work out what kind of change they want, and how to create it. For example, it is not enough that the people in a community should come to recognize that something can be done about their endemic malaria, that it is not an evil caused by the gods which has to be endured. They also have to learn that malaria can be treated with drugs, or prevented by controlling mosquitoes or that malaria can be dealt with by a combination of curative and preventive action. Literacy Various definitions exist for the term literacy (Suso, 2006). In some countries, literacy is expressed in terms of schooling years only. The limit of such a definition is that it implies that (i) those that did not attend school are not literate and that (ii) those who have completed the required number of years of schooling are literate, which is not necessarily true. …