Did you know that many patients and healthcare providers often have difficulty identifying good sources of non-English language health information? Many librarians, health care providers and patients are familiar with MedlinePlus.gov. What they may not know is that the National Library of Medicine also provides health related articles in 44 other languages; from Amharic and Arabic, to Urdu and Vietnamese. Spanish has its own MedlinePlus site, MedlinePlus en español. Foreign language teachers and students can also use these articles for language learning and practice.

This service benefits people who prefer to read health information in their native language. Users can navigate the collection of health information in multiple languages either by language or by topic. A page listing all of the languages covered is linked from the bottom right corner of MedlinePlus.gov’s homepage. Users can browse these languages and click through to the page listing all of the topics covered for a given language. Additionally, a languages box is displayed on the right side of the English language Health Topic pages. The languages box lists the languages with links on that topic in MedlinePlus. This box also links users to the collection of health information in multiple languages.

Health information in multiple languages serves many people around the world. This benefits those who have a better understanding when they read the health information in their native language. Physicians, health clinic personnel, hospital librarians and public librarians serve patients and care givers who seek health information in their native languages. Please share this excellent resource with those you know who may benefit from understanding more about their health and wellness in their own language.

Direct link: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/languages.html