Marshall Islands - Health



There are two hospitals: the Armer Ishoda Hospital in Majuro, with an 81-bed capacity, and a recently renovated hospital in Ebeye. Both hospitals provide dental services. In 1991, there were 20 doctors, 130 nurses, and 4 midwives.

Rudimentary health care on the outer atolls is provided through 69 dispensaries staffed by health assistants. Emergency cases are sent to the Majuro or Ebeye hospital and, when necessary, to hospitals in Honolulu. Dental services to the outer atolls are provided by periodic visits by dental teams from Majuro and Ebeye.

Once the site for nuclear testing, the Marshall Islands government has once again considered testing on the uninhabitable islands of Bikini and Enewetak. As of 1996, radioactive dose assessments have been commissioned by the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Infant mortality was an estimated 38.68 per 1,000 live births as of 2002. As of 2002, the crude birth rate and overall mortality rate were estimated at, respectively, 44.98 and 6.1 per 1,000 people. Life expectancy was 66.18 years. Immunization rates were as follows in 1994: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, 67%; measles, 59%; polio, 62%; and tuberculosis, 96%. The prevalence of anemia in children under five years of age was 43% in 1990. No polio, measles, or neonatal tetanus cases were reported in 1994. Alcoholism and drug abuse are common and there is a relatively high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. There were two new cases of AIDS reported in 1996.

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