Health Literacy: Strengthening the relationship between institutions and people

 

Side event to the High-Level Conference on Social Rights

 18 March 2026 | 11:30 - 13:00 EET 
Palace of the Republic: Library Biblioteca "Onisifor Ghibu", Nicolae Iorga 21 A  str., Chișinău, Republic of Moldova

 

 Objective

Health literacy was identified as a priority for action during the 2025 Council of Europe Conference on Health Protection. Health literacy is the ability of individuals to find, understand, and use health information, stands at the heart of equitable, resilient, and rights-based health systems.

Yet, almost half of European populations have limited health literacy. It is estimated that low health literacy costs economies between 3-5% of the total annual healthcare budget amounting to billions of Euros in many member states of the Council of Europe.  

In line with commitments under the European Social Charter and the Oviedo Convention, the Council of Europe aims to support member states in scaling-up equitable access to health information and services. This strengthens the link between political decision-making and people, through the engagement of institutions, with particular attention to the health of individuals and groups in situations of vulnerability.

 Related documents

 Agenda

  11:30 - 11:50   Opening

  • Emil CEBAN, Minister of Health, Moldova
  • Eugenia ROCCELLA, Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Italy (video message)
  • Rafael BENITEZ, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment, Council of Europe

  11:50 - 12:10   Introductory remarks

  • Tatiana PUIU, Vice-President, European Committee on  Social Rights

  12:10 - 12:50   Health literacy as a human rights imperative – finding, understanding and acting on health information and services to protect health

  • Kristine SØRENSEN, Global Health Literacy Academy, Denmark 
  • Open discussion

  12:50 - 13:00   Developing and Supporting Government-Led Health Literacy Pathways in Council of Europe Member States

  • Tigran KARAPETYAN, Head of Division, Transversal Challenges and Multilateral Projects Council of Europe 

  13:00   Close

 Photos

 

 Speakers

 

Back Eugenia ROCCELLA

Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities, Italy
Eugenia ROCCELLA

Eugenia Roccella was born in Bologna, is married and has two children. She is a professional journalist; she was a columnist for Avvenire, the political culture magazine Ideazione, and has collaborated with several newspapers, including Il Giornale, Libero and Il Foglio. She has a degree in literature and a PhD in Historical studies of Italian literature. In 2007 she was spokesperson, with Savino Pezzotta, for the first Family Day.

She was a Member of Parliament in the 2008 and 2013 legislatures and Undersecretary for Welfare and Health. Re-elected in 2022, she was appointed Minister for Family, Natality and Equal Opportunities in the government led by Giorgia Meloni.

Roccella has published numerous books, including 'After feminism' (Ideazione editrice, 2001), 'End of motherhood', (Cantagalli 2015) 'Eluana must not die' (Rubbettino 2019). With Assuntina Morresi she wrote 'La favola dell'aborto facile. Miti e realtà della pillola Ru486" (Franco Angeli 2006).

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