Cochrane proudly celebrates the incredible efforts of our volunteer translators in 2024. Their dedication has been instrumental in breaking language barriers and making high-quality health information accessible to communities worldwide.
This year, more than 730 volunteers actively contributed to our translation programme, with 48.6% coming from lower- or middle-income countries. Some language teams work with a larger number of volunteers than others, showcasing the diverse nature of our global multi-language programme.
In 2024 alone, our translation teams have published over 6,056 new or updated plain language summaries—and, for some languages, abstracts as well—bringing the total number of review summary translations to an impressive 54,272. This extraordinary collective effort ensures that Cochrane's trusted, evidence-based health information reaches those who need it most, regardless of the language they speak.
Beyond the numbers, the dedication of our volunteers is truly inspiring. Many of them balance their translation work with professional and personal commitments, yet they remain steadfast in their mission to improve global health literacy.
Inès Belalem, volunteer in the French translation team, shared: "Participating in Cochrane's multi-language programme has been a highly rewarding experience, enabling me to contribute to the dissemination of reliable health evidence to a wider audience while enhancing my own skills and knowledge."
Pagakrong Lumbiganon from the Thai translation team reflected: "Editing Cochrane translations expanded my knowledge beyond paediatric infectious diseases and taught me the nuances of translating English words into Thai. Choosing the correct Thai word is crucial, a task machine translation can't yet handle."
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone involved in Cochrane’s translation projects for their unwavering commitment. Your contributions are invaluable, and together, we are making a meaningful impact on global health.
Thank you for being an essential part of Cochrane’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality health information to all.
"It is an honour to volunteer for Cochrane, where I learn about diseases, precautions, and treatments. I am grateful to my teachers and schoolmates for their help with translation challenges. Knowing my translations aid health decisions is truly rewarding. Translating medical abstracts for 5 months has been an unforgettable experience." – 章华李, Simplified Chinese translation team
About Cochrane's Multi-language programme
Cochrane translates evidence-based health information into multiple languages to improve accessibility and reduce linguistic barriers to global evidence-informed health decisions. We regularly translate content into languages including Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Thai, and Traditional Chinese.
Only around 6% of the world’s population are native English speakers, and 75% of people do not speak English at all. Many individuals lack access to high-quality health information simply because it is not available in a language they understand. By translating Cochrane evidence, we aim to bridge this gap and ensure that everyone, regardless of language, can make informed health decisions.
"As a translator for Cochrane, I am deeply honoured to contribute to a global effort that empowers healthcare decisions with evidence. Knowing that my work helps make reliable health information accessible to diverse populations worldwide is incredibly rewarding. The Cochrane Collaboration provides a vital service, and I am proud to be a part of this impactful and meaningful mission." – Leili Tapak, Farsi translation team
If you are interested in joining our community of volunteer translators and contributing to this vital work, find more information on how to get involved.
