Guam is an island in the North Pacific Ocean, and is the largest
and southernmost island in the Mariana Islands archipelago. It
is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States,
and its residents are U.S. citizens. Guam has a land mass of 212
square miles, with an estimated population of 178,430 (CIA, 2009). The capital, Hagåtña
(formerly Agana), is located on Guam's western coast. According
to the 2000 Census, 44.6% of the population is native Pacific
Islander, 32.5% is Asian, 6.8% white, 1% African-American/Black
and 1.2% other. While over 99% of the population speaks English,
most residents speak another language as well, with Chamorro and
the Phillippine languages being the most common.
Guam's hospital, the Guam Memorial
Hospital, is located in Tamuning. The island is served by two
Federally
Qualified Health Centers, the Southern and Northern
Region Community Health Centers, which provide primary healthcare,
acute outpatient care, and preventive services and are under Guam's
Bureau of Primary Care Services. The WHO Western Pacific Regional
Office reports that in 2000 Guam was served by 166 physicians
and 31 dental surgeons.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average annual wages for Guamanians in 2008 was $29,400, with approximately 20% of
families below poverty level. Data from the 2000 Census finds
that 23.7% of residents had not completed high school. Approximately
65.6% of the population 16 years and older is part of the labor
force, with 58.7% employed and 7% unemployed.
For additional resources and information, please see the Pacific Territories, Commonwealth, and Freely Associated States.
Data Sources:
CIA
World Fact Book: Guam
Country
Health Information Profile: Guam
Population
and Housing Profile: 2000 for Guam
U.S.
Affiliated Pacific Basin Jurisdictions: Legal, Geographic and
Demographic Information
Organizations
Government of Guam
International organization
Official site of the government of the island of Guam.
Guam Department of Public Health & Social Services
International organization
Includes the Division of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health, Division of Public Welfare, and Division of Senior Citizens.
Hawaii Pacific REC
State/regional organization
Hawaii State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
Mountain Pacific Quality Health Foundation
State/regional organization
A Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) working to improve the health of people Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Tools
California STD/HIV Prevention Training Center
Web site
Provides training courses that are designed to meet the needs of medical, health, and community professionals serving persons and communities impacted by STD and HIV. Service area includes the federal Health and Human Services Region IX: California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the following Pacific Islands: American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.
CIA World Fact Book: Guam
Web site
Provides current information on Guam, covering geography, population characteristics, government and the economy.
Guam State Health Facts
Database
Provides state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region: Regional Information for the Pacific
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for the U.S. Associated Pacific Islands including American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and Republic of Palau (Palau).
Office of Insular Affairs: Guam
Web site
Provides an overview of Guam's history, government, economy, demographics, and more.
Population and Housing Profile: 2000 for Guam
Web site
Provides detailed demographic, economic and housing data for Guam based on the 2000 Census.
Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics: 2000 for Guam
Web site
Provides detailed data on age, ethnicity, employment, poverty, and housing characteristics for Guam, based on the 2000 Census.
Title V: A Snapshot of Maternal and Child Health: Guam
Web site
Presents data on maternal and child health for Guam.
Funding
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant State Narrative for Guam
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Includes an overview of Guam, its health system, and maternal and child health status.
Date: 09 / 2008
Minorities Take Health into Their Own Hands
Author(s): Fia Curley
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of Minority Health
Describes efforts in Guam and Chuuk to address the problem of AIDS and HIV.
Date: 2006
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Island Areas
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
Provides a brief history of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Island Areas, including: American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Date: 2002
Small Business Profile: U.S. Territories
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the economy: covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa.
Date: 02 / 2011
Title V Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment: Guam
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Provides access to Guam's maternal and child health needs assessment for the period of 2005-2010. Includes a detailed overview of maternal and child health status in Guam.
Date: 2005
Western Pacific Country Health Information Profile: Guam
Sponsoring organization: World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office
Provides an overview of health issues in Guam. Covers the political and economic situation, health trends, the health system, and health indicators.
Date: 2006
Success Stories
U.S. Pacific Islands: Helping Hearts
The purpose of this program is to provide the U.S. Pacific Islands region with automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and educate to residents so they can train others in their use and save more lives.
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