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TWB’s Global Response to COVID-19

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis of information.

COVID-19 has triggered a global response by governments, aid agencies, and health workers. The pandemic is fueled by what the WHO calls an "infodemic." People aren’t getting enough reliable, accurate and timely information that they can understand and use to best protect themselves.

Everyone needs reliable COVID-19 information in a language and a format that they understand. Responders need to be able to listen to people to understand their needs—no matter what languages they speak.

We’re using our expertise in multilingual communication to address these urgent challenges through:

Chatbots

Uji is a multilingual chatbot that answers people’s questions about COVID-19 by engaging them in real conversations in their own language.

Read more in English, Bangla, and French.

Translations

We’re working with partners to translate critical public-facing content into languages and formats that more people can understand.

Learn More

TWB Glossary for COVID-19

We’re developing a multilingual, plain-language glossary of key COVID-19 terminology to support clear, consistent public information.

Visit the COVID multilingual glossary

Language Data & Mapping

We’re developing maps that visualize languages and literacy levels globally, to help guide COVID-19 communications.

See our interactive language map

National and International NGOs

To request language services, please email Manmeet Kaur, TWB’s COVID-19 Response Lead.

Community Aid Groups

Need help translating COVID-19 information? Apply for our free COVID-19 Community Translation Program now.

Translate for TWB

We currently need COVID-19 translation support in many global languages. Apply here.

Our Sponsors and Supporters

The project is funded by the H2H Fund, a funding mechanism for H2H Network members. The fund is a rapid funding vehicle for network members responding to humanitarian crises.

To add your support, email Andrew Bredenkamp now.

Project Updates and Resources

Afghanistan Research COVID-19 slowing transmission 2021

Research report: Slowing transmission - Language challenges in community radio relay of COVID-19 risk communication in Afghanistan

In 2020 Internews launched the Rooted in Trust project to counter rumors and misinformation about COVID-19. They commissioned Translators without Borders (TWB) to map community radio stations and investigate the language and translation challenges community radio broadcasters face when relaying official COVID-19 risk communication to their audience.

Read more in English, Dari, and Pashto. 

Brief: Chatbots against COVID-19

Uji is a multilingual chatbot that answers people’s questions about COVID-19 by engaging them in real conversations in their own language. It's a key part of making sure everyone has COVID-19 information, in their own language.

Read more in English, Bangla, and French.

Brief: COVID-19 language needs for humanitarian staff

Translators without Borders’ partner organizations around the world are supporting efforts to control COVID-19. Do their teams have the information and communication materials to do that effectively? We conducted a survey to find out. Learn more.

Policy brief: The importance of language for effective communication across the response

Global response plans for COVID-19 identify risk communication and community engagement as a priority. That requires all responders to communicate effectively with communities, counter misinformation, and make sure people can hold them accountable. This brief outlines findings and recommendations on four key aspects to achieve these aims: language, format, relevant content, and channel. Read this brief: English, Spanish, French

COVID-19 community translation

Release: TWB tackles COVID-19 “infodemic”

TWB is giving community organizations open access to its translation resources. TWB is launching the COVID-19 Community Translation Program to provide community organizations responding to COVID-19 with open access to its translation platform and community of translators. Read more.

Blog: COVID-19 rumors highlight the need for facts

Disseminating clear, accurate and accessible information in a language that people understand is critical to tackling misinformation and slowing the spread of COVID-19. Read more.

Blog: Clarity is the overlooked opportunity in the rush to produce COVID-19 information

Clarity is an important but often overlooked factor in COVID-19 communication. The World Health Organization, UNHCR, and the Centers for Disease Control emphasize the importance of clarity in health communications. These and other agencies urge us to use established plain-language principles to achieve that required clarity. Read more.

Blog: Countries with lower literacy levels need different COVID-19 communication strategies

People have a right to access the information they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. But the format and language of that information need to evolve as COVID-19 spreads to nations with lower literacy rates and more vulnerable groups of people. Read more.

News: H2H Network funding to fight the COVID-19 info-demic with facts

The H2H Network has funded four independent international organizations focused on communication and information to assist the global response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic. Read more.