FECCA Chairperson Carlo Carli is not pulling his punches when it comes to advocating for multicultural communities, considering a federal budget that may cut back on multicultural health services.

He told Neos Kosmos that he was disappointed with what he sees as the premature axing of the Multicultural Health Connect line, a pilot program he said was prematurely terminated without consultation or any alternative model of health navigation support in place.

The service provided in-language telephone support to multicultural communities, providing information about COVID-19 and support to navigate the health system.

“The Multicultural Health connect line, started during Covid but should be extended to help new arrivals and students to navigate the system.”

Carli told Neos Kosmos that the decision to terminate the pilot was a “major setback for multicultural communities and of deep concern.”

He also added that the timing is “unfortunate as we move into winter” and Covid is still in the community.

Carlo agrees that while Multicultural Health connect line may have “concluded its role in terms of the Covid” pandemic, it still has an important role to play.”

He is cautiously optimistic that the budget that will be released tonight may also have “targeted mental health support for multicultural communities”.

“We are trying to put as much pressure on the govt to deliver on health initiatives.”

He also wants to see greater resources in primary health care and has called for “collaborations by multicultural health professionals.”

Carli said that “Covid impacted heavily on multicultural and disadvantaged communities, is a reason why this is needed.”

Multicultural communities have faced the brunt of health inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some communities found to be 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19 compared to the general population, according to the 2022 ‘Fault lines’ report.

“There were larger numbers of fatalities in multicultural communities in Melbourne’s north and Sydney’s west, and there were, as you know, many in the Geek and other communities resisting immunization,” the FECCA chair told Neos Kosmos.

“It became clear that all of us and government especially have to do lots of work on the ground, and we need to work with community groups and ethnic media.”

“Our fear at the moment we haven’t learnt those lessons, government is withdrawing support.”