Bull and bear

In the investment world, the terms bull and bear markets are used to describe how stock markets are doing in general—that is, whether they are appreciating or depreciating in value. Simply put, a bull market refers to a market that is on the rise. In such times, investors often have faith that the uptrend will continue over the long term. Typically, in this scenario, the country's economy is strong and employment levels are high. By contrast, a bear market is one that is in decline, typically having fallen 20% or more from recent highs. Share prices are continuously dropping, resulting in a downward trend that investors believe will continue, which, in turn, perpetuates the downward spiral. During a bear market, the economy will typically slow down and unemployment will rise as companies begin laying off workers (Investopedia, 2020).

How is the health literacy market in your country?

If health literacy is the traded value we look at. How is the health literacy market in your country doing? Is health literacy scarce? Or is it an asset? In a health literacy bull market, the health literacy is high, there is trust and confidence in the organizations that they can handle the current situation by using their expertise. In bear markets, the organizations are lacking health literacy and the preparedness to handle the situation is going downwards. The COVID-19 response shows us which organizations are strong and which are weak. For instance, in some elderly homes there is a strong leadership and well-informed staff and residents taking strategic actions upfront and always being ahead of the curve. Whereas in others, the leadership is weaker with less trained staff, which means that the virus can get easier access and do its devastating work.

We better strive for the bull market than the bear markets. The investment in health literacy is crucial for the countries to go through the current challenges.

"Health literacy is not about rules. It is about empowerment to make timely and appropriate decisions and actions to maintain and promote health at individual and societal levels"