29 July 2009

The National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS), Federation of Ethnic Communities Council Australia (FECCA) and Co.As.It (Victoria) have been presented with a Multicultural Communication Award for the 2009 Italian Get to know your medicines calendar.

The awards, hosted by NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service, recognise area health and non-government organisations that produce multilingual health resources.

The calendar was distributed to Italian seniors across Australia as part of the 2008 Get to know your medicines campaign. This campaign aimed to raise awareness among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities of the importance of understanding the benefits and risks of medicine and included tips on how to reduce the risks.

The risks of using medicines are heightened for CALD senior Australians, particularly those with low English language proficiency and literacy levels.

The medicines messages throughout the calendar sit alongside photographs of Italian migrants from the mid-1900s donated by the Italian Historical Society (Co.As.IT).

“We are delighted to receive this award for non-government patient information, which acknowledges the valuable work we are undertaking with our community partners to promote the safe use of medicines with culturally and linguistically diverse communities,” NPS CEO, Dr Lynn Weekes said.

The awards entry guidelines stated the resources had to be:

• available in English and at least one language other than English
• developed incorporating elements of good practice, including a needs assessment
• translated by NAATI accredited translators
• culturally appropriate
• able to be added to the Multicultural Health Communication website.

“The calendar showcases the vibrant heritage of Italian migrants in Australia, while incorporating important health messages,” said Walter Petralia, Co.As.It (Victoria) Manager, Health Promotion and Community Development.

“This award is a testament to the value of working collaboratively with communities and ethno-specific organisations to develop relevant and engaging health promotion initiatives. FECCA is delighted to see this innovative and popular initiative acknowledged with this reward,” FECCA Chair, Voula Messimeri said.

NPS and FECCA also won a certificate of commendation for education session resources for Chinese and Italian communities. These awards build on previous recognition for multicultural resources:

• 2005 National Multicultural Marketing Awards from the Community Relations Commission.
• 2005 Multicultural Communication Award from NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service.

ENDS

The National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

FECCA is the national peak body representing Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.