Welcome to the Autumn edition of Polyglot. The NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) is excited to share information, events, and other opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in 2023.

Multicultural Health Communication Awards 2023

The Multicultural Health Communication Awards (MHC Awards) are coordinated annually by MHCS to recognise excellence in multilingual health communication across NSW Health. Do you know a staff member or project team who did a great job or went above and beyond?

Nominations for the MHC Awards 2023 will open on Thursday 1 June 2023.

Stay tuned for future announcements by subscribing to our mailing list. Learn more about last year’s award recipients at our website. We look forward to celebrating the excellent work from across the health system with you.

On 2 May 2023, it was an honour for MHCS Senior Project Officer, Gayathri Dharmagesan and Consumer Representative, Nyan Thit Tieu to present a case study on co-designing health resources at the Population and Community Health Consumer Engagement Showcase.

As part of the previous Multicultural Health Week steering committee, Nyan Thit Tieu spoke about her lived experience as a cancer survivor and the importance of undertaking a co-design approach to developing cancer screening resources.

These multilingual cancer screening resources were featured in last year’s Multicultural Health Week campaign supported by Cancer Institute NSW.

Women’s Leadership in Health

To celebrate International Women’s Day earlier this year, Radio Tagumpay interviewed MHCS Deputy Director, Jesusa Helaratne on the collaborative work between MHCS and NSW Health. The bilingual interview explored the impact of multilingual health communications and spotlighted opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse women to take on leadership positions within the health sector.

Building Inclusive Workplaces

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2023, MHCS and the Ministry of Health came together to reflect on the importance of creating inclusive and respectful workplaces through the sharing of culture, food, music, art, and stories.

As part of the ongoing work to call out racism and build inclusive workplaces, NSW Health workers are encourage to read the Diversity Inclusion Belonging guide.

NSW Health Communications Leaders Day Forum

At the beginning of this year, it was an honour for MHCS Deputy Director, Jesusa Helaratne, and MHCS Translations Project Officer, John Alsop, to present ‘Embedding multicultural communications into planning’ at the NSW Health Communications Leaders Day Forum. Drawing on extensive experience, MHCS shared key multilingual communications case-studies from the health sector.

Staying Well Ahead Of Winter - Information In Your Language

Anyone aged 6 months and over can be vaccinated against flu, and we encourage everyone to give themselves the best protection ahead of this year’s flu season. A reminder that both COVID-19 and flu vaccines can be administered at the same time. If you’re due for a COVID-19 booster, ensure you are protected from both diseases by getting your vaccines together.

For flu vaccination information in multiple languages, visit the NSW Health website. For new multilingual video resources about COVID-19 vaccination, visit the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website. For mpox (monkeypox) vaccination information in your language, visit the NSW Health website.

For public health updates provided by NSW Health, MHCS and Multicultural NSW, the fortnightly Multicultural Health Media conference recordings are available at the MHCS website.

NSW Settlement Strategy Aim To Improve Refugee Health And Wellbeing Outcomes

Multicultural NSW has released the new NSW Settlement Strategy, which aims to improve settlement outcomes for people from refugee and refugee-like backgrounds living in NSW. The Strategy draws from extensive stakeholder work and includes health and wellbeing actions that complement the recommendations from the NSW Refugee Health Plan. To download the strategy summary document in multiple languages, visit the Multicultural NSW website.

Making Mental Health Information Accessible For People With An Intellectual Disability

3DN, UNSW Sydney, with support from the Ministry of Health, has developed a series of easy read information sheets providing information about accessing and navigating mental health services available within NSW. Following consultation with people with intellectual disability and their families and support persons, and using a co-design approach, 3DN has developed these resources. Information sheets are now available in English, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese at the 3DN website.

Western Sydney Expands Diabetes Educational Video Series

Did you know people in western Sydney are twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to those in Sydney’s coastal suburbs? To improve the access to diabetes education for Chinese patients living in Western Sydney Local Health District, Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD), produced a series of 22 educational videos in Mandarin. In partnership with MHCS, the video series was released on WeChat.

Diabetes is common in the Chinese population and while Chinese migrants with diabetes tend to have high levels of health literacy, only a small fraction access diabetes education and dietitian services. Each video produced provides information for those with or at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to better understand the condition.

Multilingual Videos - Silica Dust Work Safety Alert

Fine crystalline silica dust can be generated when carrying out demolition and excavation work. This instructional video provides advice on planning your job and using the correct safety controls to help protect workers and others from silica dust on site. The safety video is available in English, Arabic, and Chinese at SafeWork NSW.

14 June 2023: Working Clinically with Survivors of Transgenerational Trauma: Considering Complex Trauma with Individuals and Families. This free webinar hosted by STARTTS will explore expert presentations and case studies showcasing clinical excellence and innovation in the treatment of torture and refugee trauma. Register here.

15 June 2023: Mudgee NSW Multicultural Diversity end of life in our ageing population. This workshop hosted by the Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA) funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, aims to improve health professionals’ knowledge of a palliative approach and how culture influences end of life care. Register here.

1 August 2023: Cancer Innovations Conference 2023. This conference hosted by Cancer Institute NSW will foster conversations about improving access, coordination of care and outcomes for people with cancer. Register here.

23 - 25 November 2023: Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT) National Conference 2023. This conference hosted by AUSIT will be held in Sydney with a call for abstracts coming soon. This year’s theme is Building bridges, strengthening alliances: Translation and interpreting in today's connected world. To learn more, visit the AUSIT website.

NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
Level 3, 349 Crown St. Surry Hills NSW 2010
Website: http://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/
Email: SESLHD-MHCSNEWS@health.nsw.gov.au

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