Orkan Okan

Dr Orkan Okan is professor of health literacy at the TUM School of Medicine and Health and the Department of Health and Sport Sciences at Technical University of Munich, Germany. In December 2023, he established the WHO Collaborating Center for Health Literacy at TUM. Furthermore, Orkan leads the TUM Health Literacy Unit and is affiliated with the TUM Center for Health and Medicine in Society and the Center for Health Promotion in Childhood and Adolescence (Champion). Orkan has a background in school teaching, pedagogy, and public health. Prof Okan's research covers all facets of health literacy in society and in different settings, focusing on disease prevention, health promotion, health care, and digitalization. His interdisciplinary research has a particular focus on child and adolescent health literacy as well as health literacy in schools. In this context, he is currently involved in various national, EU and Erasmus+ projects. He has advised and worked with governmental organizations and NGOs on health literacy. Orkan is vice president of the International Health Literacy Association (IHLA), president of the EUPHA Health Literacy Section, Deputy Chair of the IUHPE GWG Health Literacy, and co-founder and chair of the Global Health Literacy Research Network (GLOBHL).