On International Translation Day, the WHO Academy highlights the growth of its multilingual learning offer, reflecting its commitment to making high-quality learning accessible across diverse linguistic and operational contexts.
As of today, 269 courses are available in English on the Academy's online learning platform, alongside 250 versions in other languages, including 73 in Spanish, 15 in Chinese, 3 in Hindi and 1 in Simplified Chinese. In total, the platform now offers learning opportunities in 19 languages, with additional languages under development.
For the WHO Academy, language accessibility is an essential component of equitable capacity building. Health workers should be able to access learning opportunities regardless of where they work, the resources available to them, or the language they use in their professional environment.
To achieve this, the Academy goes beyond translation. Its multilingual approach relies on localization, a process that adapts learning content to different cultural contexts, professional realities and access conditions. Each version is carefully adapted, contextualized, tested and validated to ensure it is relevant, accessible and usable for learners.
This approach helps address challenges faced by many health workers and health systems, including limited connectivity, varying levels of digital access and the use of different devices and technologies.
Technology is helping to accelerate this work. Artificial intelligence can support localization processes, increase production speed and improve scalability. Human expertise, however, remains essential to ensure quality, accuracy, cultural sensitivity and relevance.
Together, technology and expert review help make learning faster, more inclusive and more closely aligned with the realities of health workers, whether they work in large tertiary facilities or remote primary care settings.
By expanding access through translation, localization and digital innovation, the WHO Academy continues to support a future in which more health workers can access learning opportunities in their own language and within their own context.