A major new research project aims to improve long COVID outcomes in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, following growing evidence these groups face disproportionate long-term impacts from the virus.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic receding, long COVID remains a significant public health issue around the world, with many people continuing to experience persistent symptoms such as cognitive impairment, respiratory problems and cardiovascular complications which often affect their ability to return to everyday life.
Early studies from international settings indicate racial and ethnic minority communities experience higher hospitalisation and morbidity associated with long COVID, which may also be reflected within Australia’s CALD populations.
To address this, Curtin School of Population Health Associate Professor and Head of The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Geospatial and Tuberculosis Team Kefyalew Alene will lead a $2 million research project backed by the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund.
In collaboration with WA Health, CALD community leaders, physicians, program leaders and researchers the project aims to co-design evidence-based, culturally appropriate models of care which can be scaled across health systems and used to develop new national guidelines for preventing long COVID in CALD communities.
Associate Professor Alene said language barriers, limited health literacy and unequal access to healthcare services may contribute to elevated numbers of long COVID cases and partnering directly with CALD communities was essential to creating effective and meaningful healthcare responses.
“Long COVID continues to affect thousands of Australians, but its burden is not shared equally,” Associate Professor Alene said.
“By co-designing this research with community leaders, clinicians and primary care providers, we will be able to develop models of care that genuinely reflect people’s lived experiences.
“Our goal is to support equitable access to services and ensure that long COVID care is culturally safe, effective and sustainable.”
The project will also assess long-term health outcomes among CALD and non-CALD groups and evaluate existing models of care.
“The team’s expertise in infectious diseases, health equity and policy translation is expected to support the rapid uptake of findings into clinical practice,” Associate Professor Alene said.
Curtin Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Melinda Fitzgerald said the project demonstrated Curtin’s willingness to tackle global challenges.
“Curtin strives to address complex health challenges through collaboration, innovation and deep community engagement,” Professor Fitzgerald said.
“By translating rigorous research into practical models of care, our researchers are helping to ensure that all Australians, regardless of background, can access the support they need to recover fully from COVID and live well.”
For more information about the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, visit here.
