Chronic disease and living well

ECCQ’s Chronic Disease Program has been delivering culturally appropriate preventative care since 2007

Our team of trained Bilingual Multicultural Health Workers (MHWs) ensure communities we work with receive culturally appropriate information and support to live healthy lifestyles and to prevent or self-manage chronic disease.

Click here for Chronic Disease Program Highlights: 2017-2019.

ECCQ referral forms:
Referral form for GPs
Referral forms for allied health and community organisations

Living Well Multicultural Program

Our team deliver education sessions in community languages or simplified English on: 

• healthy eating and nutrition (including food shopping and label guides, budgeting and planning ahead, recipe modification and cooking demonstrations, food safety and food hygiene, healthy lunch boxes and nutrition for older people) 
• physical activity (including education, demonstrations and home exercises guides using a TheraBand) 
• chronic disease education and prevention (including diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among others)
• information about the dangers of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption and where to get assistance for cessation 
• understanding and navigating the Australian Health Care System 

We have culturally tailored our resources for the following communities:

• Pacific Islander communities and Australian South Sea Islander communities 
• Sri Lankan communities 
• Arabic Speaking communities 
• Afghan community 
• African communities 
• Bhutanese community 
• Myanmar community
• Vietnamese 

We have translated resources in the following languages: Samoan, Arabic, Dari, Burmese and Vietnamese. 

Download program brochures in English and Community languages here.

For more information or enquiries about our resources or having these workshops delivered to your communities, please contact Ms Hong Do at 07 3255 1540 or email: [email protected] 

Health Navigation

The Health Navigation Project is funded by Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN). It aims to improve awareness, knowledge and attitudes about chronic disease risk factors, how to make positive lifestyle choices and to improve knowledge and relationships with local primary health clinics within the Brisbane North PHN area.

Two to three free sessions, focused on chronic disease self-management and prevention are delivered by Bilingual Multicultural Health Workers in community language or simplified English if appropriate. These occur in a one on one or small group setting and at a place most convenient for community members. Sessions continue to be facilitated for the following communities but are not limited to; Arabic speaking, Afghan, Bhutanese, Chinese, Myanmar and South Sea and Pacific Islanders

Download the program brochure in: English, Arabic, Chinese, Dari and Burmese.

For more information please contact Ms Kristy Lekkas on 3255 1540 or email [email protected]

My Health for Life Program for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities  

An initiative of Queensland Government, this program is run by statewide alliance between Diabetes Queensland, Stroke Foundation, Heart Foundation, Queensland Aboriginal & Islander Health Council, ECCQ and the Primary Healthcare Networks. 

The program has been designed to help you kick the bad habits that lead to chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. ECCQ has culturally tailored and translated resources for the following communities: Arabic Speaking, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin Speaking), Pacific Islander and Vietnamese. The program is free and delivered by qualified Multicultural Health Workers in local areas. It involves six sessions, the first session is a face to face meeting and the remaining sessions are group based sessions. 

Currently ECCQ is delivering the program in Cantonese, Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese and Simplified English to Chinese, Arabic Speaking, Vietnamese and Pacific Islander communities.  Talk to us for other available options if you or your participants are not from these ethnic groups. 

Download the program brochure in: English, Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

We accept referrals from GPs, clinics and service providers, download a referral form here.

For more information please contact Ms Hong Do at 07 3255 1540 or email: [email protected] 

Aqua Safe

The Brisbane City Council funded Aqua Safe initiative is a partnership between Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, Brisbane City Council and Royal Life Saving Society Queensland to ensure increased participation of Culturally and linguistically diverse communities in water safety education programs to reduce the incidence of drowning.

Bilingual Multicultural Health Workers currently deliver workshops in language to multicultural communities including Afghan, Chinese and Myanmar community members and in simplified English when appropriate. All sessions take place within the Brisbane City Council catchment. The once off 2 hours sessions cover topics including but not limited too; safety in and around water ways including pool, beach, dam and river, responding to emergencies and understanding and performing CPR.

For more information please contact Ms Kristy Lekkas on 3255 1540 or email [email protected]