How Lyfe Languages Will Improve Healthcare and Preserve Knowledge
This app will improve healthcare and preserve knowledge for First Nations communities, says Nyangumarta man, medical doctor and co-founder Dr Yarlalu Thomas.
Fact file
Co-founders: Dr Yarlalu Thomas (pictured), 26, Dr Gareth Baynam, 50, Dr Shahmir Rind, 37
Philanthropic partners: Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, Hanrine Foundation, Meridian Global Foundation, Qantas Regional Grants
First user: 3D facial analysis program Pilbara Faces, 2019
Headquarters: Perth, Whadjuk Noongar Country
Number of employees: Seven
What’s your elevator pitch?
“Lyfe Languages is empowering and retaining Indigenous languages to improve engagement with the healthcare system. Young people are our Lyfe Languages Champions, running programs we’ve set up for different languages across Australia. They’re facilitators in their communities as they assist with intergenerational transfer of knowledge.”
What problem are you solving?
“Indigenous peoples in Australia and across the world have a lack of engagement and distrust towards healthcare. English might be their second, third or fourth language. Often it’s difficult for them. In 2019 I was working on a project called Pilbara Faces with Dr Gareth Baynam, a geneticist and one of our co-founders, to diagnose kids with rare genetic diseases based on photographs and objective measurements. I was out in the communities building a database of Aboriginal faces and trying to explain it to them was tough, even though I speak a bit of Nyangumarta. The medical terminology made it such a difficult process and that’s when we started trying to create a solution. Lyfe Languages uses a digital platform to help create a comfortable environment for First Nations people to interact with healthcare professionals who might not be from an Indigenous background themselves.”
How does it work?
“About 150 to 250 Aboriginal languages are still widely spoken but Elders who are the knowledge holders are passing away. It’s important to capture this knowledge before it’s lost. We’re tackling this via audio – talking and hearing – and less so in a written format. Our digital solution includes health-promotion videos recorded in languages from north-west Western Australia across to central Arnhem Land and parts of the Torres Strait. We want to deliver succinct health messaging to outer communities to ensure they’re empowered and feel heard. We’ve just finished our prototype of the app for clinical settings, focusing on common words and introductions – a simple hello in language goes a long way.”
How did you get it off the ground?
“Our Lyfe Language Champions are going out into communities to get the translations done with the old people and traditional speakers. We started with common words and phrases then added anatomical words. From there – depending on what’s important for specific communities – we can focus on what health issues they want translated. We’re also helping with scripts to encompass key health messaging for various government organisations. We convert the scripts into animations that can be widely distributed, overlaying the audio translations for the local community.”
What’s next?
“Phase one has been the data capture of all the translations and the second phase is rolling that out to Aboriginal medical services for the health staff in primary care to use. We’ve started trialling it in the Pilbara, where we have antenatal information, including translated posters and videos playing in the waiting room, to help first-time mums. Looking at the potential of AI in the future, I’d love to live in a world where we’ve got a form of Google Translate service that can also cater for less-spoken Indigenous languages.”
