The Victorian Government has launched a new multicultural health aimed at giving diverse communities better access to the health system.

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt today announced the Victorian Multicultural Health Survey at the recent 2025 National Multicultural Health and Wellbeing Conference in Melbourne.

In a statement, Minister Stitt said the survey was part of an effort to build “a stronger, more inclusive health system that works for all Victorians – no matter where you were born or what language you speak”.

“We know that for some Victorians navigating the health system can be confusing, frustrating or intimidating – even more so if English isn’t your first language,” she said.

“That’s why this survey is important – providing an avenue for multicultural and multifaith Victorians to directly voice their experiences, with their stories used to identify gaps and barriers as we build a more equitable and inclusive health system.”

The survey is also an opportunity for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to put forward their ideas for change – because we know when we listen to people from all communities, we get the best health outcomes for all Victorians.

Feedback will be captured through the Engage Victoria online platform, a series of community forums to be hosted and consultation sessions with key organisations.

Data collected from the survey will be used to shape the future of Victoria’s health system and will help inform the upcoming whole-of-government multicultural strategy – a key commitment following the Labor Government’s Multicultural Review released in September.

This survey follows the findings of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System and the recently released Diverse Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework.

The framework outlines a ten-year vision so all Victorians can access a safe and inclusive mental health and wellbeing system that responds to, reflects and embraces diversity.

The Victorian Multicultural Health Survey will open in early 2026.

“Every Victorian deserves healthcare that is safe, inclusive and respectful, no matter where they were born or what language they speak,” Minister Stitt said.

“If you are a Victorian with a diverse background and want to tell us your story about your experience in our health system – we want to hear from you,” she said.

The National Multicultural Health and Wellbeing Conference also heard from Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman, who called for institutions and systems to take more action and responsibility for fighting racism and recognised that “racism is much worse on social media now than what it was in the street 20 years ago… racism is profitable for social media platforms.”

The conference saw many discussions and presentations, including the interactive symposium on digital health and a panel discussion where a wide range of topics were covered including access to research, the impact of AI on translating and interpreting and the need for co-designing programs and services with communities, not just for them.