Public Health launches Spanish-language webpages

KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, in a continued effort to provide King County residents with quality and useful health information and services, Public Health - Seattle & King County has launched the Spanish-language Public Health site, "Salud Pública en español."

"Our community is changing, we are more diverse than ever, and we have an increasing Spanish-speaking population," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "We're striving to provide high-quality and culturally-appropriate services to all of our county residents."

In King County, the population of residents who identified themselves as "Hispanic or Latino" grew by 90% from 1990 to 2000.

"Public Health has put top priority on eliminating health disparities, and we want to make sure Spanish speakers have access to the best local health services and prevention information," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public - Health Seattle & King County.

In King County:

• one out of four Latinos between the ages of 18-64 does not have health insurance, compared to one out of 10 among the general population
• about 18% of Latinos surveyed needed to see a doctor in the last year but did not due to cost, compared to 8% of the general population

The Spanish-language website will include sections on:

• Food and nutrition
• Clinic services, including those for mothers and children
• Food safety and food handler classes
• Immunizations
• HIV/AIDS and STDs
• Insurance
• Ordering birth and death certificates
• Bioterrorism

Close to 6% of the King County population is Latino. The national rate is 12.5%.

In the United States:

• Hispanics/Latinos are almost twice as likely to die from diabetes as are non-Hispanic whites.
• Hispanics/Latinos also have higher rates of high blood pressure and obesity than non-Hispanic whites.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2010 aims "to eliminate health disparities among segments of the population, including differences that occur by gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation." For more information on this national initiative, please visit: www.health.gov/healthypeople