September 15, 2015
Stephen I. Katz M.D. Ph.D.
Stephen I. Katz M.D. Ph.D.

Dear Colleagues:

Many diseases in our scientific portfolio, including lupus, arthritis and osteoporosis, have profoundly negative effects among Hispanics/Latinos and other minority groups, in terms of prevalence and poor health outcomes. We are committed to providing quality health information to all people, no matter what language they speak or what culture they identify with. For this reason, the NIAMS has launched a new Spanish-language website that provides free health information on conditions of the bones, joints, muscles and skin. The site is being launched to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Website traffic to our Spanish-language content has grown at a rapid pace, and now accounts for about 50 percent of our total website traffic. To meet this high demand, the new site features quick and easy navigation tools to help Spanish-speaking individuals identify and locate NIAMS health topics. It also includes landing pages that provide all of the information offered on a given topic in one place. The website also offers:

  • Improved access to NIAMS’ Spanish-language health information and related federal resources
  • Information on participating in clinical research studies
  • Responsive design that makes the site easier to read on mobile devices

Additionally, the NIAMS is now offering health information in English and Spanish via content syndication through the HHS Syndication Storefront. This new tool allows users to import science-based content from many U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and NIH websites to their own websites or software applications automatically, and free of charge.

NIAMS is committed to providing health information that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for diverse populations, including underserved racial and ethnic communities. The NIAMS Spanish-language materials are an integral component of the Institute’s entire suite of health resources that are part of its National Multicultural Outreach Initiative, many of which are also available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.

I encourage you to share our multilingual resources with your communities and constituents, and join in our efforts to make reliable health information accessible to all people.

Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institutes of Health

Last Reviewed: