New Look for CDC's Spanish-language Web Site

CDC has launched CDC en Español, an updated and expanded Spanish-language companion to its English-language Web site. The new CDC en Español (www.cdc.gov/spanish) is not a mirror of the English site but instead a redesigned, separate Web site intended to serve as a vital source of health promotion and emergent information for Spanish speakers. With new features and new graphics, CDC en Español is more functional and useful—and also looks more like the English-language site, which was redesigned earlier this year.

The organization, navigation, and graphic design of the new CDC en Español (www.cdc.gov/spanish) are based on user evaluation and research. In September, CDC conducted in-person usability testing of the proposed Spanish-language site and a team of experts in the field worked to produce a user-friendly Web site that provides useful, easy-to-understand information on a wide range of health promotion and disease prevention topics. The site includes a more powerful search engine, a user-friendly A through Z index, and quick access to the 20 most requested topics of information.

Market research indicates that more than 16 million Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. go online, with about half expressing a preference for Spanish-language Web sites. Hispanics make up nearly 10% of government Web site users (June 2007, ComScore Media Metrix and Forrester Research).

CDC has long recognized the importance of the Internet as a communication tool. In 2000, the original CDC en Español Web site was created; at that time it was one of the biggest and most reliable sources of health information provided in Spanish by the federal government. CDC en Español now receives over 6 million visitors a year and its weekly distribution list has grown to close to 6,000 members in over 40 countries around the world.

CDC continues to expand its efforts—in multiple languages—to promote health and quality of life. The new CDC en Español increases access to accurate, up-to-date information in Spanish on health issues of special interest to Spanish-speaking populations.

Additional Information

• CDC and Other Languages