International journal of epidemiology
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Similar to the general population in Taiwan, the health of aborigines has steadily improved over the last 30 years, but the gap remains wide, especially in males, despite an infusion of substantial medical resources. The objectives of this study are to quantify the contribution of major causes of death to the gap in life expectancy and to propose initiatives to bridge the health gap between aborigines and the general population. ⋯ Based on the findings of this study, we suggest that future focus should be in the area of primary prevention in order to reduce the incidence of infectious and parasitic diseases, liver cirrhosis, and accidents.