Wikipedia provides free, uncensored, accurate and timely information on topics like the urgent Ebola or Zika Virus outbreaks and perennial concerns like diarrhea, malaria and birth control. Translators without Borders supports the Wikipedia Medical Translation Task Force by providing the translation that allows Wikipedia to bring that critical health care information to as many people as possible in their local language.
The aim is to translate content where it is needed most. For example, speakers of Oriya now have access to extensive information about important medical topics, and we are working to do the same for speakers of Persian and Swahili. The Wikipedia Medical Translation Task Force believes language shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing quality health information.
Since the collaboration began in 2012, over 1,400 new (or dramatically improved) articles have become accessible on local-language Wikipedias. That is roughly 2.37 million words; or more than $500,000 in market value terms. In the past year, the Task Force added another 770 summary articles and 18 full-length articles to 66 local-language Wikipedias in total.
The English source-content receives over 12m pageviews per month from communities looking for medical facts which supports the objective of improved health outcomes for communities.
The Translation Task Force is currently working on articles on diseases, medications and drugs, anatomy, nutrition, sanitation, and women’s health.
The health outcomes of the least fortunate depend on providing this free local-language information.
Wiki Project Med Foundation and Translators without Borders are both parts of the global initiative: Healthcare Information For All. More information about the progress of these projects can be seen HERE
