For organizations seeking health translations in different languages, there are a variety of resources available which we will list below. These are general patient education handouts in different languages on a variety of subjects, videos and more. By providing health information in different languages, we can increase access to information and decrease the health disparities that certain communities face with this barrier in their way of understanding and being able to manage their health.
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 thought it important to gather them in one place here and will continue to add to it. Please let us know how we can help you!
Covid-19 Health Translations in different languages
These materials are free to download and are in more than 40 languages. These materials are created in partnership with Harvard Health Publishing and can be accessed at the following: https://covid19healthliteracyproject.com/ 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.
In addition, the CDC also publishes a communication toolkit and a wealth of health translations in different languages on the subject of Covid-19. These are print-only materials are developed to support COVID-19 recommendations. All materials are free for download. 
RESEARCH: The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic is leading to a rapidly expanding and evolving literature. This evidence collection contains plain-language summaries of high-quality research which 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. They have a very large resource center of translated materials into Hmong about Covid on their website.
Georgia State University has health translations in different languages that have been written in plain language and are translated in multiple languages. They are always adding content and I love to see that they have created Vaccine hesitancy videos in a variety of languages. They have even done them in a culturally relevant style like the Arabic one pictured here.
The FDA has created materials on the various vaccines, treatments, safety protocols and more that are in multiple languages.
WHO mythbuster fact sheets about Covid-19 are in over 125 language
Covid 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
These patient factsheets, videos, brochures, meal planning guides and more for the treatment of Diabetes are all in Spanish and are downloadable PDFs from Novo Nordisk. We are particularly fond of these as we did the translations on many of them.
Among Hispanics/Latinos, diabetes is more common among Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans; it is less common among Cubans and Central and South Americans, but even among these groups, diabetes is more common than it is among Whites. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities also publishes resources for Diabetes in different languages.
Beyond Type 1 also has the Latinx diabetes initiative which provides culturally tailored care to Latinx patients with Diabetes.
MedlinePlus has a list of resources in multiple languages from various organizations. It’s a great collection of downloadable PDFs.
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.
Merck has made it their mission to publish health information in over 12 languages. 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. Their Spanish versions of manuals can be accessed here.
