CITY OF FRESNO
Office of Mayor Jerry Dyer
_________________________________ ________________________________ JERRY DYER, Honorable Mayor NELSON ESPARZA, Council President
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ESMERALDA SORIA, Councilmember District 1 MIKE KARBASSI, Councilmember District 2
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MIGUEL ARIAS, Councilmember District 3 TYLER MAXWELL, Council Vice President
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LUIS CHAVEZ, Councilmember District 5 GARRY BREDEFELD, Council District 6
WHEREAS, proper health paves the way for happiness, success and prosperity. Adequate health literacy empowers individuals to make the best possible health care decisions for themselves and for their families.
Unfortunately, around 88% of adults living in the U.S. have a level of health literacy that is inadequate for navigating the healthcare system and advocating for their individual health and well-being; and
WHEREAS, compared to adults with proficient health literacy, adults with low health literacy report poor health outcomes and health status, experience healthcare costs that are 4 times greater, have 6% more hospital visits, and an average of 2-day longer hospital stays; and
WHEREAS, limited health literacy poses a high financial and social burden, resulting in over 1 million unnecessary hospital visits, and an additional $25 billion in healthcare spending annually
WHEREAS, low digital health literacy was a direct contributor to the spread of online misinformation related to COVID-19, and cause people to decline vaccination, reject public health prevention measures, and seek the use of unproven treatments; and
WHEREAS, the level of health literacy influences the management of communication within the healthcare system, and that higher levels of health literacy among providers is positively associated with attitudes toward health literacy promotion and the use of communication techniques; and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that we, Mayor Jerry Dyer and the Fresno City Councilmembers, do hereby proclaim Thursday, October 20, 2022 to be:
“Health Literacy Awareness Month”
In the City of Fresno.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands and
affixed the seal of the City of Fresno, California, this 20th day of October 2022.
In Promoting Health Literacy Month