Gov’t Launches Health Protocol Campaign in 77 Regional Languages

Ministry of Education and Culture launched the COVID-19 health protocols campaign in 77 regional languages, virtually on Tuesday (1/12).

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Anwar Makarim has launched health protocol campaigns to tackle COVID-19 in 77 regional languages in Indonesia.

According to the Minister, the move aims to disseminate the information to the public in languages that are easily understood.

“The messages conveyed by the Government to follow health protocols still need to be improved so that they can be more easily understood by the public, namely by using languages that  the communities are familiar with,” he said.

The Minister expressed hope that by providing the campaign in regional languages, the public will feel closer to their culture and understand the message of the guideline which in the end will attract them to apply it in their daily lives.

In response to this, Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Doni Monardo expressed appreciation for the breakthrough.

“Local language is one of the ways to deliver the COVID-19 information to the public, considering that most of the terms used in the context of COVID-19 are often adopted from foreign languages, such as ‘adaptation’, ‘asymptomatic’, ‘new normal’, and ‘social distancing’,” said Doni.

Doni also expressed belief that the use of regional languages will enable the public understand better about COVID-19.

At the same time, it also shows the wealth of the Indonesian nation in terms of cultural diversity, he added. (PR of Ministry of Education and Culture/UN) (EST/EP)