Bronchial asthma deaths in Jamaica

Many countries have reported an increase in the death rate from bronchial a sthma. Evaluation of the situation in Jamaica was undertaken to see if the trend is similar to that reported from elsewhere by analysing deaths for th e period 1980 to 1989. There was an increase in the death rate during the p eriod studied, most marked in females in rural areas. Most of the deaths oc curred outside medical facilities. The reasons for these trends are not cle ar.