Launch of health fact sheets in multiple languages

Sydney Local Health Districts Translation Service will launch a series of multilingual consumer medicine resources, translated into eight languages for different cultural communities. The information sheets have been designed to improve the health literacy of the diverse range of patients and consumers across western Sydney. The series of safe medicine fact sheets cover the use of several medicines including insulin, warfarin blood thinner and the penicillin called amoxicillin. The fact sheets have been developed in English, Arabic, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), Turkish, Korean, Vietnamese and Persian. Western Sydney Local Health District translation services manager Eva Melhem said the resources were available to patients and visitors at the hospitals, including the outpatient departments and inpatient areas. Across Western Sydney Local Health District, 42.7 per cent of our population speak a language other than English and 56.9 per cent of the population of Auburn LGA are born overseas, she said¹. Research and evidence shows a majority of adverse events resulting from inadequate use of medicines by patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are preventable if patients have access to printed information in their language. These fact sheets will be made available to patients and staff; the resources can be shared among individuals in our culturally diverse communities and will ensure they receive advice and support in their first language. For wider access in NSW and nationally, the fact sheets are available on the Multicultural Health Communication Service webpage. To download the resources, visit: www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au