Health conditions in Puerto Rico have improved remarkably since 1940, when the average life expectancy was only 46 years. A resident of Puerto Rico born in 2003 could expect to live 77.26 years. Infant mortality declined from 113 per l,000 live births in 1940 to 9.38 in 1999. The leading causes of death in 1940 were diseases brought on by malnutrition or infection: diarrhea, enteritis, tuberculosis, and pneumonia. By 2002, the most common causes of death, in order of prevalence, were heart disease (139 per 100,000 population); cancer (115 per 100,000); and diabetes mellitus (56 per 100,000). In 1999, 93 people died as a result of work-related accidents. In 2000, there were 153,598 people with visual disabilities, and 191,997 with developmental problems.
There were 25,525 confirmed adult and adolescent cases of HIV/AIDS in 2001, and 395 confirmed child cases of AIDS. As of 2002, the annual number of registered cases of AIDS was 1,024.
In 2002, Puerto Rico had 45 private hospitals and 13 public hopitals. There were 12,178 hospital beds available in 2002There were 17.5 physicians per 10,000 people. Annual national health expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 6.03%. The budget for health in 1999/00 was $993.3 million; of that amount, $570.3 came from federal contributions.
As a result of health reform, the government now finances a medical insurance program contracted to the private sector. As of late 2000, all 78 municipalities had been incorporated into the health insurance plan, with 99% insured and 1.8 million participants in the plan.