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I was browsing this morning's Jamaica Gleaner in my Inbox - the way one does - and hit the following:

Lifestyle diseases Jamaica's No 1 killer

published: Tuesday | May 16, 2006

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE THE nation's frightening crime statistics and high traffic fatality rate, lifestyle diseases are Jamaica's number one killer, accounting for more than 50 per cent of deaths recorded each year.

In outlining the data, chief executive officer of the National Health Fund (NHF), Rae Barrett, identified diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, heart disease and cancer as the major cause of deaths in Jamaica.

"Sixty-three per cent of the deaths in Jamaica are due to those five chronic lifestyle diseases," Mr. Barrett said. "For every five persons killed in an accident or are murdered, five more die from lifestyle diseases. Lifestyle diseases account for approximately 1,000 deaths each month."

Ignoring the "1000", can anyone untangle that final paragraph for me?

(I have a small selection of newspapers delivered daily, but the Jamaica Gleaner always has a fresh perspective on the world)

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/ ... lead7.html

"To date, we have 223,000 persons who have enrolled for benefits from the NHF," said Mr. Barrett. "The number of cases of illness we have enrolled is 193,653. That means there is an average of two illnesses per person."

The National Health Fund?

http://www.nhf.org.jm/

Oh that is perfect, chonsi - I hadn't read as far as the end!

I have written to Mr. Barrett. I shall report back here in due course.

We await your report, Spot!:)