NSW Mutlicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) has partnered up with the State Library to bring you a week of multicultural health information. And this year’s theme is Health Information in Your Language.
Multicultural Health Week highlights the importance of NSW Health Services providing equitable access to information and resources to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. It also emphasises health care and information for Australians whose first language may not be English.
In it’s third year, Multicultural Health Week acknowledges communication needs for multicultural communities in NSW and identifies the resources available to these communities.
“This partnership (state library and NSW MHCS) highlights the commitment of the state library to store and distribute health information at the library,” Jesusa Helaratne, project officer for NSW MHCS, told Neos Kosmos.
The MHCS has around 480 resources in 65 languages. The information has been given to them by health organisations all over Australia and covers a variety of health awareness for community members such as chronic diseases, obesity, tobacco control, diabetes and other health information.
And as part of the week, the Responsible Gambling Fund, in partnership with the MHCS, the Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service, the Multicultural Problem Gambling Service for NSW, and five community groups, will celebrate Multicultural Health Week by holding an Open Day at the Yagoona Senior Citizens Centre, Ron Whitehead Park, Cooper Road, Yagoona. Starting at 10.00 am, the event will feature special guest speakers, free food and entertainment from Arab, Chinese, Italian, Greek and Vietnamese communities.
Members from the Turkish, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian and Korean communities will also participate in the event. Information will be available from the Greek Welfare Centre with free health information and giveaways.
Multicultural Health Week will run from Monday 8 September to Monday 12 September. For more information on events and information visit multiculturalhealthweek.com.au
