The Bahamas - Health

The government operates the 436-bed Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau and two other hospitals, the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center and the 82-bed Rand Memorial Hospital. In addition, 57 clinics and 54 satellite clinics are maintained throughout the islands, with emergency air links to Nassau. In 1999/2000 health expenditures totaled US $132,492,992, or 14.8% of the national budget.

In 1995, there were 417 physicians (nearly 15 per 10,000 population) and 80 dentists. In the same year, there were 653 registered nurses. In 1996 there were 1.5 physicians, 2.3 nurses, and 0.3 dentists per 1,000 people. In 1999, the fertility rate was2.0 per woman and the infant mortality rate was 18 per 1,000 live births. In 2000, low birth weight babies accounted for an estimated 10.4% of all births. In 1999, the birth rate was 20 per 1,000 people, and the general mortality rate was 5.4 per 1,000. Average life expectancy in 1999 was 74 years. In 2000, 28% of all deaths were attributable to diseases of the circulatory system, 20% to communicable diseases, 14% to cancer, and the remainder to other causes.

In 1994, 88% of one-year-old children were immunized against measles and 91% were immunized against diphtheria. As of the end of 2000, a total of 5,648 people were living with HIV/AIDS, including 1,111 who had shown symptoms of AIDS. Between 1996 and 2000, HIV/AIDS was the leading cause of death among males and among the general population, although mortality from the disease decreased from 97.2 to 80.4 per 100,000 people.