nr te ee ee ee em ee. ee ee ee é -125Crude Death Rate The average crude death rate for the three year period of 1975-1977 was 4.86 deaths per 1,000 population. Table y-§indicates that the death rate seems to be gradually decreasing from an annual high of 7.4 per 1,000 in 1964 to the lowest rate ever of 4.3 in 1976. rose to 5.2. The 1977‘rate Indications are that the increase in the crude death “rate can be attributed to a shigellosis epidemic which also accounts for a dramatic increase. in mortality of diarrheal diseases. In comparison, the United States crude death rate was 8.9 in 1975, 5.0 for Hawaii, and 4.8 for American Samoa in 1976. Since the crude death rate seems to be on the decline, no goal has been set for the further reduction of mortality. Table y-6 and Figure Y-] list the ten leading causes of death in rank order in the Trust Territory for the years 1975-1977. Included in Table V-6 is the death rate by cause. Figures Y-2a--jgraphically illustrates the incidence of the ten leading causes of mortality in the Trust Territory for the period from 1971-1976. MALIGNANT NEOPLASMS Cancer is the leading cause of death in the Trust Territory for the period “a | } I aiw? or cD Approximately 8.8% of all deaths were attributable to cancer coo 1975-1977. on @ me cet cele ee mere mete de te See