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The total population of Turks & Caicos Islands is estimated at 21,000 in 2005, of which 47.4% live in urban areas. [1] Women represent 47.6% of the total population. [2] It is estimated that, in the year 2004, 5,060 women were 15 to 49 years old, that is, around 53% of the total number of women. [3] According to demographic estimates, since 1990 the average annual rate of population growth has decreased steeply (Figure 1).
The most recent year for which mortality data from Turks & Caicos Islands are available by sex, age and cause of death is 1997. During the period 1995-1997 there was a very slight decrease in the estimated (crude) death rates (Figure 2).
All of the population had access to improved water sources in 2002, and access to sanitation services was nearly as high (Figure 3). The urban population had slightly better access to sanitation services than the rural population.
Among the population aged 15 years and over, literacy was 99.0% in 1998 among males and 98.0% among females. [4] In 2002-2003, the gross enrollment rate at the primary level was fairly close to 90% for both sexes; the (estimated) rates for secondary level enrollment are higher than for the primary level (Figure 4).
In 2005, life expectancy at birth was 76.8 years for women and 72.3 years for men. [5] Recent demographic estimates have found considerable increases in life expectancy between 1990 and the year 2010, for both sexes, with an increase of almost one year in the gap between men and women (Figure 5).
Female age-specific death rates in 1997, due to all causes combined, were higher than male rates among children in the age groups 1 to 4 years and 5 to 14 years, as well as among the population 65 years and over (Figure 6). There were no infant deaths in 2004. [6]
When mortality in Turks & Caicos Islands is considered by cause of death and by age group, it is found that the death rates for ages under 15 years vary widely and are often zero, due to the low number of total population and to the few, if any, deaths occurring at young ages from any particular cause. Since this makes the rates less meaningful, they have been omitted from the material that follows. Among the population 15 to 44 years old, communicable diseases and external causes were major causes of male mortality in 1997 (Figure 7). However, at ages 45 to 64 years, diseases of the circulatory system caused far greater mortality among both sexes than any of the other groups of causes, and the rates were higher among women than men (Figure 7).
Mortality due to malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs and peritoneum is usually an important element within total mortality due to neoplasms. In Turks & Caicos Islands, at ages 45 to 64 years the male death rate due to this cause was 21 per 100,000 in 1997, or 31% of all mortality from neoplasms, while the female rate was zero. On the other hand, among women, the mortality rate from malignant neoplasms of breast was 27, or 37% of mortality from all neoplasms. [7] Ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus are major causes of death among adults 45 years and over, and especially adults 65 years and over (Figures 8 and 9). In 1997, diabetes mellitus caused far greater mortality among women than men in both those age groups (Figure 9).
Accidents, suicide and homicide are all included in the grouping external causes of death . In 1997, these causes of death were, jointly, a greater problem for men than women, although mortality from homicide was higher among women (Figure 10).
In 2004 the total fertility rate in Turks & Caicos Islands was 3.1 children per woman. [8] There were no maternal deaths in 2004. [9] A total of 29 male cases and 13 female cases of AIDS were reported from 1985 through 1993, as well as 10 cases for which sex was not reported (Figure 11). In addition, 16 cases were reported for 1994, 13 for 1995, 13 for 1996, and 2 for 2003, but the sex distribution of these cases is not available. [10] In September 2005 there were 75 people under treatment with antiretroviral drugs; [11] the number of people 15 to 49 years old who need such treatment is unknown. [12]
In 2004, all births were attended by trained personnel and all pregnant women received at least one consultation for prenatal care, provided by a trained health worker. [13] Although this topic is an essential element in the analysis of gender-based inequalities related to the participation of women and men in the health sector, the statistics that would allow such analyses are not currently available.
[1] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005. Washington, DC, 2005. [2] Based on: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator. http://www.paho.org , 26 January 2006. [3] U.S. Census Bureau. International Data Base. http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/ , 14 March 2006. [4] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. [5] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. [6] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. [7] The data in this paragraph are from: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator, http://www.paho.org (December 2005). [8] PAHO/GE. Gender, Health and Development in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005. Washington, DC, 2005. [9] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. [10] PAHO/AI and National AIDS Program. [11] Ibid. [12] UNAIDS/WHO. [13] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base.
Source: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator. (December 2005)
Source: PAHO/AIS.
Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005
. Washington, DC, 2005.
Source: UNESCO.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. International Data Base.
Source: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator. (December 2005)
Source: Based on data from: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator. (December 2005)
Source: Idem. 
Source: Idem. 
Source: Idem.
Source: PAHO/AI and National AIDS Program.