Health in My Language (HIML) is a national initiative led by the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH), working with partners across Australia to ensure migrant and refugee communities have access to clear, culturally relevant and in-language health information. At the 2025 My Health, My Language Forum, bilingual health educators (BHEs) from around the country came together to launch the HIML Evaluation and to shape key advocacy messages for strengthening and sustaining this vital workforce.
The HIML Advocacy Paper highlights why BHEs are essential to Australia’s health system. As trusted educators who share community languages, culture and lived experience, BHEs support people to understand complex health information, navigate services and make informed decisions. The evaluation shows their impact is significant: increased knowledge, confidence to seek care, and real-world changes — from women attending screening together to families having new conversations about sexual and reproductive health.
The paper calls for long-term investment, formal recognition and the integration of BHE roles into mainstream health promotion. Its recommendations focus on workforce sustainability, professional pathways, culturally safe practice and genuine co-design with communities. Strengthening the BHE workforce means strengthening health equity — and ensuring migrant and refugee communities can access the care and information they need in the years ahead.