Andorra allocates €24,000 to campaign promoting Catalan in healthcare facilities

The Government of Andorra launched a campaign on Tuesday to promote the use of Catalan in healthcare, aiming to strengthen the presence of the country's official language in interactions between medical professionals and patients.

The initiative, with a budget of €24,035, will run from November 10 to 24 and include advertising across public spaces, media outlets and digital platforms.

The campaign is led by the Language Policy Service of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, and targets both healthcare professionals and patients.

Under the slogan "A l'hospital, a la consulta o a la farmàcia, fes servir el català" ("At the hospital, doctor's office or pharmacy, use Catalan"), the Government aims to encourage the everyday use of the official language in healthcare settings.

The campaign materials feature common phrases such as "On et fa mal?" ("Where does it hurt?"), "Com et puc ajudar?" ("How can I help you?") and "Com et trobes?" ("How are you feeling?"), alongside a message addressed to patients: "Pots explicar-m'ho en català" ("You can explain it to me in Catalan").

Four in ten patients are not treated exclusively in Catalan by their GP

The campaign follows the publication of data from Andorra's 2026 survey on language knowledge and use, which highlights differences in the use of Catalan across healthcare services.

According to the survey, 64% of respondents say their general practitioner communicates with them exclusively in Catalan, while 60% report always speaking Catalan to their GP.

The figures are lower for specialist medical appointments. Only 54.5% of patients say they receive care exclusively in Catalan, while 52% report using only Catalan when communicating with specialists.

These findings indicate that, although Catalan remains widely used in certain healthcare settings, a significant proportion of medical interactions take place in other languages or involve a combination of languages.

Andorra's Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mònica Bonell, acknowledged that there is still room to increase the use of the official language.

"The data show that Catalan has a significant presence in healthcare, but also that there is room for further progress," she explained.

Bonell added that the Government wants to create conditions that allow residents to communicate naturally in Catalan when visiting a doctor, hospital or pharmacy.

Government encourages healthcare workers to start conversations in Catalan

One of the campaign's main objectives is to encourage healthcare professionals to initiate conversations in Catalan, helping patients feel comfortable using the official language without having to switch to another one.

The initiative places particular emphasis on communication between medical staff and patients, especially in situations where accurately describing symptoms, concerns or needs is essential.

Health Minister Helena Mas stressed that language plays an important role in establishing trust between healthcare professionals and patients.

"Putting patients at the centre also means listening to them and allowing them to express themselves naturally. Language helps build trust and closeness, which is why it is part of humane, high-quality healthcare," she said.

The campaign features healthcare professionals from the Andorran Healthcare Service (SAAS) and professional medical associations, who appear in the various advertising materials.

Two-week campaign across streets, radio and social media

The initiative will run from November 10 to 24, using a range of physical and digital advertising formats.

Planned materials include outdoor advertising displays, identification badges, social media content and publications on the Government's and Language Policy Department's official websites.

Advertisements will also appear in print media, on Ràdio Nacional d'Andorra (RNA) and on other radio stations.

The Government confirmed that the campaign contract was awarded to the company Comando through a public tender worth €24,035.