Welcome to the Winter edition of Polyglot. The NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) is excited to share information, events, and other opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in 2024.

Join us to celebrate Multicultural Health Week 2024

From 2 to 8 September, this year’s theme is Celebrate culture through food with multicultural family lunchboxes. Get your family together to make some great healthy lunchboxes for work, school, or a day out. Join us to promote healthy eating among culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Download Adam Liaw’s delicious Multicultural Family Lunchbox recipes.

Organise your event to celebrate our cultural diversity and promote healthy eating within your community.

Watch the livestream of the launch on Monday 9 September from 10am.

In July, MHCS had the privilege of attending the African Health and Wellbeing Fun Day in Granville, hosted by the Cancer Institute NSW, NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, and Western Sydney Local Health District.

This truly inspiring community event was filled with vibrant energy and touching cancer survival stories. Dr. Kumba Moseray shared her incredible story and encouraged everyone to stay up to date with health screenings. Read more about the critical importance of health screenings in local African communities here.

Early detection through screening can save lives. Prioritise your health and book your free health screenings now. For more information and multilingual resources about breast screening, bowel screening and cervical screening.

Empowering Refugee Women Through Preventative Health Education

On World Refugee Day, observed on 20 June 2024, the Engaging Effectively with Refugee Communities Forum launched new resources designed to increase awareness and support professionals working with refugees.

MHCS and key partners introduced a set of domestic and family violence (DFV) resources, translated into 21 refugee community languages.

This initiative aims to raise awareness of domestic and family violence (DFV) in newly arrived women from refugee backgrounds and encourages them to seek support. Resources include:

• Audio/Videos on YouTube
• Poster (for DFV health services)
• Audio Script
• Relationship 101 booklet

All the resources are available to share with services from the MHCS website. Developed in partnership with SSI and the Refugee Health Service through the Translated Health Resources for Refugee Communities project, these vital resources were funded by the NSW Health Refugee Health Flexible Fund.

Free Bowel Cancer Screening Now Available for Australians Aged 45 and Over

We know that finding bowel cancer early saves lives – if detected early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated in more than 90% of cases. Discover Melahat's bowel cancer story here and why early detection save her life.

From 1 July, Australians aged 45 will now have access to free bowel cancer screening.

Please share with your networks that people aged 45-49 are now able to request a kit online: www.ncsr.gov.au/boweltest or they can speak to their GP. People aged 50–74 will continue to automatically receive a bowel screening kit in the mail every two years.

Visit www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/dothetest/ to get helpful tips and find multilingual information in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional and Vietnamese.

Changing Life, Keep Your Balance: Mental Health Hotline Video

In collaboration with One Door, South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), this project features Lianne Ngo, a dedicated Vietnamese-speaking Mental Health Carer Advocate. SWSLHD Multicultural Services introduces the Mental Health Hotline video as part of the "Changing Life, Keep Your Balance."

This initiative, funded by the South West Sydney Public Health Network, aims to raise mental health awareness within Sydney's Vietnamese community. The video encourages individuals facing mental health challenges and their families to seek support and guidance.

For more information, visit One Door Mental Health website or contact Lianne Ngo directly on 0478 404 662. She is available to assist on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Breastfeeding Your Baby – Translated Resources for Parents

Breastfeeding offers babies the best start in life, but it isn’t always easy. There's help available, day or night, in multiple languages.

The NSW Health Breastfeeding your Baby page has information on all the support services available for breastfeeding. The page is available in English, Arabic, Chinese Simplified and Vietnamese.

It’s not too late to protect your community with an influenza (flu) vaccine

Winter is nearly over, but influenza is still around. The 2024 flu vaccine is available and it’s not too late to get vaccinated. Influenza (flu) is serious, but your yearly flu vaccine offers the best protection against getting really sick. Getting a flu vaccine is quick, easy and recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over so you can keep doing the things you love.

Book your flu vaccine today at your doctor or local pharmacy using the Healthdirect online search tool. Everyone aged 5 years and older can get vaccinated at their local pharmacy.

We encourage you to share in-language videos, brochures, and factsheets with your community. For more information, visit the NSW Health website. For phone support, call TIS on 131 450 and state what language you need.

Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that you cannot see, taste, or smell. Outdoor heaters, charcoal bead cookers, and barbeques, produce carbon monoxide and should never be used indoors. Using these devices indoors can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, posing serious health risks.

Stay safe and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your family. Share the multilingual Carbon Monoxide Poisoning resources with your community.

What Are the Symptoms of Coercive Control? Share In-Language Resources

The NSW Government has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of coercive control among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Coercive control is when someone repeatedly hurts, scares, or isolates another person to control them. Some abusive behaviours can seem minor on their own, but together they form a pattern of abuse.

Translated information about coercive control is available on the NSW Government’s coercive control website. New laws on coercive control take effect from July 1, 2024. For support, contact 1800RESPECT at 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au.

Join The Movement Against Hepatitis B and Liver Disease

Untreated hepatitis B is major cause of liver disease and cancer globally. In July, a Hepatitis B campaign for the Bangladeshi community was launched in Hepatitis Awareness Week. It promotes testing and engagement in care and aims to reduce stigma. Posters and social media tiles are available to promote to your community in the toolkit.

The campaign was co-designed with the Bangladeshi community in South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and is now rolling out across NSW in partnership with South Western Sydney and Sydney Local Health Districts, and the Multicultural HIV and Hepatitis Service.

2-9 September 2024: Multicultural Health Week: Celebrate culture through food with multicultural family lunchboxes. Visit the MHCS website to find multilingual resources and event updates in your area.

16-17 October 2024: FECCA 2024 Conference: Our Experiences. Our Future. The conference serves as a platform to explore issues impacting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and exchange ideas with leading experts. Register here.

23-25 October 2024: Oceania Tobacco Control Conference - Scholarship Applications Open. The conference is an opportunity to learn from tobacco control researchers, advocates, policy makers and program administrators from Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations. Register here.

NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
Level 3, 349 Crown St. Surry Hills NSW 2010
Website: http://www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/
Email: SESLHD-MHCSNEWS@health.nsw.gov.au

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