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Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 295 KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1980 Population: 253,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 1.97% p.a. 1990–2013 GNI p.c.: US$3,130 (2013) UN HDI 2014: World ranking 131 Life expectancy: 72 years (2013) Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 17 (2013) Largest contribution to mortality: Cardiovascular diseases Government health expenditure: 3.1% of GDP (2013) General information The Republic of Vanuatu’s land area is made up of a group of islands in the south-west Pacific, lying south of Solomon Islands and east of the state of Queensland in Australia. The country comprises six provinces: Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea and Torba. Climate: Oceanic tropical, with south-east trade winds in May–October. The period November–April is humid, with moderate rainfall. Cyclones may occur in November–April. Environment: The most significant environmental issues are that the majority of people do not have access to a safe and reliable supply of water (although it is improving); and deforestation. Population: 253,000 (2013); predominantly concentrated near the coast on the four main islands; 26 per cent of people live in urban areas – Efaté has the fastest-growing population, as people migrate to the capital. The population growth rate stood at 2.4 per cent p.a. between the years of 1990–2013. In 2013 the birth rate was 27 per 1,000 people (43 in 1970) and life expectancy was 72 years (53 in 1970). Most of the population is Melanesian, known as ni-Vanuatu (98.5 per cent in the 1999 census), the rest of mixed Micronesian, Polynesian and European descent. Economy: Vanuatu is classified as a lower-middle-income economy by the World Bank. Health Child and maternal health: Infant mortality in Vanuatu was 15 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. There has been an overall decline in the under-five mortality rate since 1990. In 2013 the under-five mortality rate was 17 per 1,000 live births, a slight improvement from 18 the year before. In 2012 the two most prominent causes of death for children below the age of five years were prematurity (23 per cent) and congenital anomalies (19 per cent). Other contributory causes were acute respiratory infections (11 per cent), intrapartum-related complications (ten per cent), diarrhoea (six per cent), neonatal sepsis (four per cent), injuries (four per cent) and malaria (two per cent). In 2013 Vanuatu had an adjusted maternal mortality ratio of 86 deaths per 100,000 live births (this figure was estimated at 110 deaths per 100,000 by UN agencies/World Bank in 2010). Burden of disease: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Vanuatu accounted for an estimated 71 per cent of all mortality in 2008. The most prevalent NCDs in Vanuatu are cardiovascular diseases, which accounted for 36 per cent of total deaths across all age groups in 2008. Cancer, non-communicable variants of respiratory diseases and diabetes contributed 12 per cent, six per cent and four per cent to total mortality, respectively (2008). Communicable diseases along with maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions in Vanuatu accounted for an estimated 24 per cent of all mortality in 2008. A government paper on HIV/AIDS reported that in 2011 there were four people living with HIV in Vanuatu. In 2012 there were 3,435 cases of malaria in the country. Vanuatu


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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