Effective Enhancement of Health Literacy on the Rational Drug Use among Village Health Volunteers

Abstract

Irrational drug use is a significant global public health issue that impacts individuals, families, and communities. Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) serve as community-based healthcare personnel closely connected with the public. They play a vital role in the healthcare for community members. Therefore, they should be encouraged to have a thorough understanding of rational drug use to reduce the issue of irrational drug use among the community population.

This article aims to describe the enhancement of health literacy in rational drug use (RDU) based on Nutbeam’s three levels of health literacy development: 1) functional health literacy, 2) interactive health literacy, and 3) critical health literacy. Additionally, it is aligned with the health literacy components outlined by the Ministry of Public Health, which include: 1) health service accessibility, 2) cognitive skills, 3) communication skills, 4) decision-making skills, 5) media literacy, and 6) self-management. The success factors for promoting rational drug use literacy among Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) involve fostering literacy through a step-by-step approach and implementing activities designed to develop the capabilities and skills. This serves as a guideline for enhancing rational drug use literacy among VHVs, which can be customized to fit each area’s context.