Literacy and public health

Major General Mohammed Siad Barre, President of Somalia from 1969 to 1991,was a dismal tyrant who left a legacy of civil war, clan violence, and massstarvation. Ironically (and perhaps unintentionally), he also presided over asymbolic milestone in public health. Until 1972, Somali was not a written language. The literacy rate in Somaliawas 5%. Siad Barre introduced a Roman script and ordered the writing ofgovernment documents and educational material. Then, in August 1974, in a“Campaign Against Illiteracy,” he temporarily closed the schoolsand sent the teachers and students, more than 20,000, back to their homevillages and nomadic tribes to teach their brethren basic literacy. We think of clean water, good sewers, and immunization when we think ofimportant measures for public health. But education is the key event andeffective education begins with literacy. In numerous studies, literacy itselfhas been linked to reduced childhood mortality, reduced maternal mortality,effective family planning, and even a reduction in the prevalence of dentalcaries in children.