Involving libraries in improving health literacy to achieve Sustainable Development Goal‐3 in developing economies: a literature review

Abstract

Background The Goal 3 (SDG‐3) of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) incorporates 13 targets that cut across pressing health concerns globally. Health literacy has however been linked to achieving good health in the society, and its improvement in developing economies could aid the achievement of SDG‐3. Objective The review focused on identifying actions that can be implemented by libraries to enhance health literacy and access to information among health care practitioners and consumers to support the achievement of SDG‐3 in developing countries, especially Nigeria. Method A literature search was conducted on reputable academic databases, namely sciencedirect, doaj, google scholar, pubmed and jstor. Similar keyword combinations were used to obtain articles, with filters set to search the keywords in article titles or abstract. Relevant criteria were used to screen the literature. Results Results from the literature searching were grouped under six themes that emerged from the literature. The value of libraries in health care was discussed, and suggestions were made for implementation in libraries. Conclusion It was concluded that libraries in developing economies have to take actions to improve users’ health literacy in order to become prominent stakeholders in the process of achieving SDG‐3.

“What’s happening over there?”: a study of the current state of services, challenges, and prospects in Nigerian medical libraries

“…Such benefits might arise from improving library aesthetics, creating functional and versatile spaces, taking strategic approaches to service delivery, employing problemsolving skills, and focusing on interpersonal and user-centered relationships. Similar reports on library users' patronage of Nigerian medical libraries corroborated the need for libraries to innovatively address the low usage of their facilities and services [2,15,16].…”

“…Medical librarianship is one of the oldest specializations in the field of library and information science, as evidenced by the formation of the US Medical Library Association (MLA) in 1898 [1], a time when there were few sectors in librarianship. Over its long existence, the rapidly changing field of medical librarianship has evolved to become an integral part of health care systems and medical education around the world [2]. However, the prominence and usefulness of the field have been more pronounced in the developed world, while medical libraries in developing nations grapple with survival and service delivery.…”

Health information services: Engaging women in cervical cancer screening awareness in Nigeria

“…Although the women admitted hearing of cervical cancer from family members, media, churches and non-government organization. The lowest source of awareness is the library and the indication questions the relevance of library to facilitation of access to health information (Popoola, 2019). It is not surprising that some women are unaware of cervical cancer in this age and time.…”

Meeting Information Needs through Global Partnerships: A Roadmap to Becoming a Global Health Sciences Library

“…Low health literacy/health information fluency (Ottosen et al, 2019;Mani, 2004) is a global issue, which is reflected in Goal 3 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-3), "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages" (United Nations, n.d.). Popoola (2019) identifies ways in which libraries can work to promote and improve health literacy in developing countries, including providing access to health information, advocating for health, partnering with health care providers, and collaborations with librarians in the developed world. The HSL, in collaboration with clinical faculty and students, could seek opportunities to partner with local health care providers to build awareness of health literacy best practices and promote health literacy in communities.…”