East China's Jiangsu Province is to redraw its "death map," 13 years after the last attempt to work how people from different parts of the province died.

A survey will be carried out starting from mid-July to analyze the overall death rates reported in the province between 2003 and 2005, officials with Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Health said yesterday.

The survey, which will take two months, includes recording the major diseases reported in the province, marking out concentrated areas for some diseases, analyzing the changes in most-frequent diseases and figuring out the overall health situation in the province.

The final results of the survey will be reflected in a map marked with the health and death situations of the whole province.

According to a statement on the bureau's website, the survey will first randomly select population samples from urban and rural areas to get average statistics for causes of death.

Then the survey will take a close look at death tolls in 15 cancer-ridden counties under the jurisdiction of eight cities and analyze the changes in the death rates.

"The death rate is a major indicator of the health of the population. To get a clearer idea will help the government come up with more effective anti-disease policies," the bureau said.

According to Wu Ming, who is from the Jiangsu Disease Prevention and Control Centre and a leader of the survey, the survey will take a special look at cancer. The cancer rate in the province is the highest in the country, Wu said. Liver, lung, stomach and throat cancer have been reported as the top four killers of Jiangsu residents.

The province last drew death maps in 1976 and 1993, but the data is now out of date. The effort is part of a nationwide attempt to understand more about causes of death.

"This new survey will be the most comprehensive so far, getting the most data we've ever had," said Wu.

According to Wu, the data will lay the groundwork for formulating public healthcare policy in the province.

"With a clear picture about which diseases haunt a place, both the public and the local government can take measures, such as changing lifestyles and diets, to prevent the disease," said Wu.

Wu added that despite some natural disasters, on the whole improper lifestyles and deteriorating environment in the province are the main causes of the high cancer rate.

For instance, the habit of eating pickles has led to a high level of stomach and throat cancer in cities in the centre of the province.

Additionally, some Jiangsu cities have seen air and water conditions deteriorate rapidly due to rapid economic growth over the past two decades.

Experts warn that environmental protection is a fundamental way to improve people's health.

(China Daily July 12, 2006)