At 30 June 2024, Australia’s population included 8.6 million people who were born overseas.*
This means people in our diverse, multicultural community use around 130 non-indigenous languages other than English in their daily lives.
Many have come here to escape conflict or persecution and experience trauma, disconnection, and stigma because of their past and present circumstances.
As in any community, the elderly are particularly vulnerable – relying on others for their safety, health, and wellbeing because they struggle to navigate the complexities and protocols of the Australian system put in place to serve, support, and protect them.
This is especially so with elder abuse: regardless of background or belief, it’s a complex and all-too-common crime that stays locked behind language and cultural barriers, often perpetrated within family or care circles, yet hidden from the people who can help.
This is where Health Translations comes in. It’s a free, on-line library of Australian multilingual health and wellbeing information and is funded by the Victorian Government.
Health Translations collates links to trusted, third-party organisations, websites, videos, tools, guides, and other translated content across a remit that spans every aspect of the health and wellbeing universe.
Currently the site brings together 30,000 translated resources made for Australian health practitioners and people who work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and provides quick access to a wealth of reliable resources.
This helps to bridge the communication divide between health, support, and advocacy professionals and the people who need them most.
Curated and edited by a small but dedicated team at the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health, this vast library is free and updated to ensure it’s relevant and meaningful for users in every area of health provision.
*https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/australias-population-country-birth/latest-release