The right to health includes not just a person’s right to receive the best possible quality health care, but also the right to be properly educated and informed about health-related matters.
The World Health Organisation defines health education as:
“consciously constructed opportunities for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving knowledge, and developing life skills, which are conducive to individual and community health.”
Education is essential for a person to learn about one’s health and fully enjoy the right to health. A person who is properly informed may be able to prevent a disease or identify the symptoms and contact a doctor sooner.
example Sexual education may help to reduce the rate of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.
example Knowing the early signs of a stroke can save someone’s life.
The Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control prepares information campaigns to educate the public on health promotion and disease prevention.
The Latvian Ministry of Health has launched a platform ESparveselību.lv to provide information about a healthy diet, physical activity, mental health and other health-related issues.
Read more about the right to education in this Guide.