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The total population of the Cayman Islands is estimated at 44,000 in 2005; all reside in urban areas. [1] Women represent 52.3% of the total population. [2] It is estimated that 11,906 women were 15 to 49 years old in the year 2004, that is, around 54% of the total number of women. [3] The annual rate of growth of the population has fluctuated considerably since 1980, but is now decreasing steadily (Figure 1).
The most recent year for which mortality data from the Cayman Islands are available by sex, age and cause of death is 1997. During the period 1995-1997, the estimated (crude) death rates for both sexes decreased slightly (Figure 2).
Among the population aged 15 years and over, literacy was 98.0% in 1998 among males and also among females. [4] In 2005, life expectancy at birth was 82.6 years for women and 77.3 years for men. [5] Demographic estimates point to further increases to an already high level of life expectancy; the gap between women and men is expected to remain at around 5 years more for women (Figure 3).
Age-specific death rates in 1997, due to all causes combined, were higher among males than females in all age groups, except among children under 1 year old and 5-14 years (Figure 4).
There were 4 infant deaths in 2004. [6]
Any analysis of mortality in the Cayman Islands, by cause of death and by age group, tends to produce death rates of zero and substantial variability in the death rates obtained. There are two main reasons for this: the low total population size, and (therefore) the small number of deaths due to any given cause, particularly in the younger age groups. For this reason, presentation of the rates by cause of death has been omitted for ages under 15 years. Among the population 15 to 44 years old, many death rates of zero were found for 1997; mortality due to external causes was seen to be much higher among men than among women. Although this was also the case at ages 45 to 64, mortality due to neoplasms and to diseases of the circulatory system was far greater, for both sexes (Figure 5).
An important element within mortality due to neoplasms, among men and women, is mortality due to malignant neoplasms of the digestive organs and peritoneum. In the age group 45 to 64 years, the male death rate in 1997 due to this cause was 21 per 100,000 and the female rate, 7. Among women, deaths due to malignant neoplasms of this site, together with mortality from malignant neoplasms of uterus (8 per 100,000 women) and breast (54), contributed 60% of the total mortality due to neoplasms at ages 45 to 64 years. [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 6 and 7). Among women 65 years and over, malignant neoplasms of uterus and breast, jointly, cause greater mortality than cerebrovascular diseases or diabetes mellitus (Figures and 7).
Accidents, suicide and homicide are all included in the grouping external causes of death . In the Cayman Islands, in 1997, male death rates due to each of these causes were several times greater than those for females (Figure 8). There were no female deaths due to suicide or homicide.
In 2004 the total fertility rate in the Cayman Islands was 1.9 children per woman. [8] There were no maternal deaths in 2004. [9] A total of 20 male, and 15 female, cases of AIDS were reported during the period 1985-2003 (Figure 9). In September 2005 there were 23 people under treatment with antiretroviral drugs; [10] the number of people 15 to 49 years old who need such treatment is unknown. [11]
In 2003, 100% of all births were attended by trained personnel and 100% of pregnant women received at least one consultation for prenatal care, provided by a trained health worker. [12] 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] UNAIDS/WHO. [12] PAHO/AIS. Health Situation in the Americas. Basic Indicators 2005 . Washington, DC, 2005. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Based on data from: PAHO/AIS. Technical Information System. Table Generator. (December 2005)
