A multilingual video service with information on the Irish Covid-19 vaccination rollout from international doctors, nurses and healthcare workers was published on Wednesday, as part of a campaign to make health advice more accessible to Ireland’s migrant community.
The videos, which have been produced in 36 languages, offer culturally appropriate, clear information on the State’s vaccination programme along with other important health and safety information relating to the pandemic.
The Translate Ireland company started its multilingual information campaign last December through a series of videos offering advice on health, education and other social services to the Irish migrant community.
Its latest vaccine information project was commissioned by the HSE’s social inclusion office and the National Immunisation Office, with support from the Irish College of General Practitioners.
It features videos presented by consultants, surgeons, general practitioners, nurses, psychotherapists and medical health researchers who live in Ireland but moved here from abroad, speaking in languages including Albanian, Bengali, Croatian, Filipino, Hungarian, Lingala, Moldovan, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian and Urdu.
Co-founder of Translate Ireland Graham Clifford, who also leads the Sanctuary Runners charity, warned that a shortage of multilingual resources could result in a poor uptake of the Covid-19 vaccine among migrant communities.
The Translate Ireland project will help disseminate information to people who might otherwise miss mainstream information campaigns or struggle with literacy, said Mr Clifford.
“There are many migrants here, and across the world, who will not consume local media or be aware of local health programmes and initiatives,” he added.
Medical lead on the project Dr Catherine Clifford, agreed that spreading accurate information among all communities was “essential for confidence in vaccines”.
“In the context of a pandemic its so important for everyone that information reaches all sections of society – including those for whom English is limited.”
According to the 2016 census, more than 86,600 people in Ireland speak English “not well” or “not at all”.
The 2016 census also revealed 612,018 people spoke a foreign language at home. Polish was the most common language followed by French, Romanian and Lithuanian.
Public health messaging
Dr Eva Chende, a GP based in Co Louth, who presents one of the videos in Romanian, admits she worried when the pandemic first hit that foreign nationals would struggle to understand the HSE's public health messaging.
“I felt there were mountains of information online with difficult-to-understand resources. Lots of slang, words with double meaning, unusual language. I was wondering how many Romanians in Ireland would understand half of it.
“By crossing the language barrier and using heart-to-heart speaking, Translate Ireland is a crucial resource for everyone in society.”
Dublin GP Dr Stella Burksa, who presents in Slovakian, described the videos as a “unique opportunity to deliver a clear evidence-based message about the Covid-19 vaccine” to those who, due to language or other barriers, are unable to seek public health advice.
“These disadvantaged groups can often seek information on social media, which sometimes can be a source of misinformation and confusion,” she said. “We sincerely hope that spreading this information in our community’s own language will help to increase Covid 19 vaccine uptake.”
Cork GP Dr Sura Aldeen agreed that reassuring Muslim Arabic speakers in Ireland that the vaccinations are “halal and safe” would “definitely increase the vaccine uptake among migrants in Ireland”.
Brazilian paediatrician Dr Taciane Alegra noted that public health strategies, particularly around vaccine rollout or preventing the spread of infections, only work through engagement with all individuals in the community.
“It is so relevant to engage migrants, talking to them in a way that not only they can understand, but also in a way that they feel part of the society and engage to play their role,” said Dr Alegra.
“Amid challenging days for migrants, Ireland is showing an example of engagement and acceptance of other human beings, independent of their motherland.”
Translate Ireland's vaccine information videos will be available to watch from Wednesday on TranslateIreland.ie, with additional video presentations on Covid-19 safety in the workplace, Covid-19 testing at work, mental health during the pandemic and explanations on the State's Covid-19 five-level system.
