For organizations seeking health information in different languages, we will list a variety of resources below. These include general patient education handouts, videos, and more in different languages on a variety of subjects. Health information in different languages is crucial for effective healthcare communication, patient care, medical research, and global collaboration. By providing health information in different languages, we can increase access to information and decrease the health disparities that certain communities face.
For branded and customized materials, we specialize in health translations, patient education handouts, pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing. We also specialize in health literacy with our Plain language writing division and work for a variety of pharma companies, healthcare marketing agencies, and PBMs. We always like to share published resources with our clients, so we’ve gathered several here and will continue to add to this list. Please let us know how we can help you!
General resources
Merck has made it their mission to publish health information in over 12 languages, including Spanish manuals. They believe that accurate and accessible health information is a public right. They publish professional versions for healthcare professionals, consumer versions for patients and families and veterinarian versions.
COVID-19 health information
The COVID19 Health Literacy Project provides materials in 35 languages that are free to download. These materials are created in partnership with Harvard Health Publishing. Research has shown that a barrier to care for patients with limited English proficiency was especially highlighted during the pandemic. Providing health information in different languages can remove this barrier and create health equity.
The CDC also publishes a communication toolkit and a wealth of health information in different languages on the subject of COVID-19. These are print-only materials developed to support COVID-19 recommendations. All materials are free for download.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a rapidly expanding and evolving literature. This evidence collection contains plain-language summaries of high-quality research. They are available in English and translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese (simplified and traditional).
Minnesota has the largest concentration of Hmong speakers in the U.S. The Minnesota Department of Health website includes a very large resource center of materials about COVID translated into Hmong.
Georgia State University has health information in different languages that have been written in plain language and translated in multiple languages. They are always adding content, and we love to see that they have created videos addressing vaccine hesitancy in a variety of languages. They have even done them in a culturally relevant style like the Arabic one pictured here.
The COVID-19 Multilingual Resource Hub was initiated by the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and the Fielding School of Public Health and developed with support from their partner research centers of the Institute of American Cultures, including the American Indian Studies Center, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, and Chicano Studies Research Center. The purpose is to gather and share in-language/translated resources on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for their multilingual communities. The resources listed here are provided for reference to assist members of the community at large, including but not limited to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
COVID-19 translations in indigenous languages
Wuqu’ Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance is a nonprofit in Guatemala that’s been providing health support in indigenous Mayan languages such as Kaqchikel and Kʼicheʼ for the past 13 years. They have numerous COVID-19 videos developed in indigenous Mayan languages.
Adivasi Lives Matter has been making info sheets in languages of India including Kodava, Marathi, and Odia.
The government of Australia’s Northern Territory has been producing videos in First Nations languages including Yolŋu Matha, Pintupi-Luritja, and Warlpiri. Search “covid” in the search bar to bring up the videos.
VirALLanguages has been producing videos in languages of Cameroon, including Oshie, Aghem, and Bafut, starring well-known community members as local “influencers.”
Health insurance, Medicare & Medicaid health translations
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) provides extensive resources by topic and language. These may be most interesting to health plans, clinics, and to individuals. They have resources in 18 languages to help people make informed healthcare decisions and be active partners in their healthcare and the healthcare of their families. Medicare.gov also provides information in 23 languages on their site with specific information about Medicare.
Diabetes health translations
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana publishes resources for diabetes in several languages, including a page entirely dedicated to “Recursos en español” (Resources in Spanish).
Beyond Type 1 and MedlinePlus also have Spanish-language pages with impressive offerings of resources for patient education and support.
Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare® site is available in Spanish and provides various resources, including patient factsheets, videos, brochures, and meal planning guides. We are particularly fond of these as we did the translations for many of them.
