The role of local languages in health communication

A poster on the clinic wall says, in formal French: "Prévention du paludisme : utilisez systématiquement une moustiquaire imprégnée d'insecticide à longue durée d'action."

A grandmother reads slowly, understands a few words, shrugs and moves on.

The same week, a local radio host explains in Fon, with a joke and a short story about a mosquito who "loses his job" because the whole family sleeps under nets. The grandmother laughs, remembers, and that night makes sure her grandchildren sleep under the net.

Same information. Different language. Different result.

Why do local languages matter so much in health communication — and how can health messages reach people in the languages they live in?

Africa's linguistic richness

Africa is the most linguistically diverse continent. Estimates suggest there are more than 2,000 languages spoken across Africa — nearly a third of the world's languages. Benin alone has around 50 languages, including Fon, Yoruba, Adja, Bariba, Dendi, Goun, Mina and others, while French is the official language.

Many people speak several languages — but often, their strongest language for understanding complex or emotional topics (like health, illness and death) is their mother tongue.

Africa is home to more than 2,000 languages — roughly one-third of the world's total. (UNESCO; Ethnologue) Benin alone has around 50 national languages. (Ethnologue; Government of Benin)

Why language matters in health

Health information is often complex: how a disease spreads, how to take medicine, which symptoms are dangerous, what a vaccine does. Misunderstanding can be deadly.

Research on language barriers in health care, mostly from high-income countries with migrant populations, shows that patients who don't share a language with health workers are more likely to misunderstand diagnoses, misuse medicines and have worse outcomes. Professional interpretation improves understanding and care.

In Africa, where health workers and patients may speak different languages — or where health messages are only in official languages — the same risks exist on a much larger scale.

UNESCO has estimated that about 40% of the world's population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand. The same gap often exists in health information.

Joke break: A patient was told by a nurse, in French, to take a medicine "à jeun" (on an empty stomach). He understood "à genoux" (on your knees). For three days, he knelt respectfully every time he took his tablets. The medicine worked. His knees did not.

Lessons from Ebola

During the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, many early health messages were in English or French, used medical terms, and focused on fear ("Ebola kills"). Communities often didn't trust or understand them.

Health teams learned important lessons:

• Messages in local languages were better understood.
• Words matter: some translations accidentally suggested that Ebola had no cure, so seeking treatment was useless — discouraging people from going to treatment centres.
• Working with local leaders, radio hosts and community members to shape messages improved trust.
• Listening to community questions and fears was as important as broadcasting information.

Organisations like Translators without Borders (now CLEAR Global) worked on translating and testing health messages in local languages during Ebola and later outbreaks, including COVID-19.

Lessons from COVID-19

During COVID-19, many African governments and organisations produced messages in multiple national languages — through radio, TV, songs, cartoons, WhatsApp voice notes and loudspeakers in markets.

Creative examples included:

• Songs by popular musicians in local languages about handwashing and masks.
• Community radio call-in shows in local languages.
• Voice notes shared on WhatsApp by trusted health workers.

These efforts showed that local-language communication can be fast, cheap and effective — especially when combined with trusted messengers.

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart." — Nelson Mandela (widely quoted)

Beyond translation: cultural meaning

Good health communication isn't word-for-word translation. It's about meaning. Some challenges:

• No direct word: many languages don't have a word for "virus," "bacteria" or "vaccine." Translators must find clear explanations or create new terms with communities.
• Different beliefs: illness may be understood through spiritual, social or traditional explanations. Messages should respect these while explaining the medical view.
• Taboo topics: sexual and reproductive health, mental health and death may require careful, respectful wording.
• Tone: formal vs. friendly, serious vs. humorous — depends on culture and topic.

That's why messages should be tested with community members before being widely shared.

Channels that work

Radio remains one of the most widely used media in Africa, especially in rural areas. Community radio stations broadcast in local languages and often have loyal audiences.

• Community radio

WhatsApp voice notes work for people who can't read well and travel fast through networks.

• Voice notes and audio

Music, theatre and storytelling make messages memorable. Many African health campaigns have used popular musicians.

• Songs and drama

They speak local languages and are trusted. See How community health workers reach families.

• Community health workers

Messages delivered in churches, mosques and traditional gatherings in local languages reach many people.

• Religious and traditional leaders

Clear images help across languages and literacy levels.

• Pictures and icons

The role of technology

Technology can help — or hurt — local-language health communication:

• Machine translation tools often perform poorly for many African languages, and can produce dangerous errors in health content. Always check with native speakers.
• African-language AI projects (like Masakhane and Lelapa AI) are working to improve this. See How AI Is Changing Africa.
• Voice-based systems (IVR hotlines) can deliver health information in local languages to basic phones. See How to design useful technology for low connectivity.

In the clinic: language between patient and health worker

In health facilities:

• Health workers should ask patients which language they prefer.
• When possible, use trained interpreters rather than children or random bystanders (for accuracy and privacy).
• Use teach-back: ask patients to explain instructions in their own words. See A simple guide to asking better questions at a clinic.
• Provide written instructions with pictures.

Training health workers in local languages and cultural communication improves care.

What health organisations can do

• Budget for translation and testing in every health campaign.
• Hire communicators who speak local languages.
• Partner with community radio, musicians, artists and local leaders.
• Create glossaries of health terms in national languages, developed with communities.
• Listen: set up hotlines and call-in shows to hear people's questions.
• Share materials openly so others can reuse them.

What you can do

• If you speak a local language well, volunteer to help translate or record health messages for your community.
• Share accurate health information in your family's language.
• When you hear a rumour, respond in the language it was shared in. See How to read a health claim shared online.
• Encourage schools and media to value local languages. See The value of keeping African stories in local languages.

An illustrative example: the malaria song

In an illustrative project in southern Benin, a health NGO worked with a local singer to create a short song in Fon about bed nets. The lyrics were tested with mothers at a health centre, who suggested changing one word that sounded like a joke about a neighbour. The final song was played on community radio, shared on WhatsApp and sung by children at school.

A few months later, health workers noticed that children were singing the chorus when their mothers hung nets. The song wasn't magic — the nets and medicines did the medical work — but it helped the message stick.

A glossary challenge for schools and clubs

Here's a practical activity: ask students to create a small health glossary in their local languages. Pick ten words — fever, cough, vaccine, mosquito, clean water, handwashing, medicine, nurse, pregnancy, rest — and ask students to find how elders, health workers and families say them.

Some words will have a direct translation. Others will need a short explanation. Students will discover how language and culture shape the way people think about health. The glossary can be printed, shared with a local clinic or recorded as audio. It's a science lesson, a language lesson and a community service in one.

See How teachers bring real problems into lessons for more ideas like this.

Health speaks many languages

Health information isn't truly "available" if people can't understand it. In a continent of more than 2,000 languages, communicating in local languages isn't a luxury. It's a basic part of good health care.

When health speaks people's languages, people listen — and live better.

Keep reading: What makes health information easy to trust?, Why local action needs good information, and our Health & Well-being section.

Questions

Why are local languages important in health communication?

People understand and trust health information more when it's in their strongest language, especially for complex or sensitive topics.

How many languages are spoken in Africa?

More than 2,000 — around a third of the world's languages. Benin alone has about 50 national languages.

Can machine translation be used for health messages in African languages?

It can help, but it often makes errors in many African languages, so health messages should always be checked by native speakers and tested with communities.