CEDAW/C/PHI/5-6 percent versus 47 percent for stunting. However, at puberty age of 11-12 years and through adolescent years of 13-19, the females were more at risk than the males of being overweight. 438. Among adults, the females were more nutritionally disadvantaged than the males, having higher incidence of chronic energy deficiency and overweight. Pregnant and lactating women, in particular, had poor nutritional condition, exemplifying the nutritional vulnerability of the female adolescents and female adults. Malnutrition in various forms, especially protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, persist. Chronic energy deficiency among adults 20 years old and above is more prevalent in women than men. More females than males are afflicted with iron deficiency anemia with highest incidence among pregnant and lactating women. Goiter, thiamine and riboflavin deficiencies continued to be more prevalent among women than men. Women’s health status 439. In spite of the persistent problems with nutrition, recent years have shown a steady improvement in the overall health situation of the country. Women appear to have gained from the vigorous health improvement efforts of government and from the progress in the science of medicine and health care. The health conditions of Filipino women have been improving through the years notably in increasing their life expectancy and decreasing their mortality rates (NCRFW 2000). 440. Through the years, the life span of women and men had been increasing. This trend may be attributed to better health services, improving living conditions and better health education, factors that could have also contributed to the decline in mortality rates. It must be noted that the fall in death rates had been greater for females, especially during infancy and at older ages. Women continue to live longer than men, and the gender gap has widened between 1990 and 2000. In 1990, female life expectancy was 66.4 years, which was 3.6 years longer than that for men. In 2000, the difference was 5.3 years, with women’s life expectancy at 71.6 years. The projected life expectancy at birth for 2004 is 72.8 percent for women and 67.5 percent for men (NSO as cited in NSCB website). 441. The country has significantly reduced mortality for both sexes from 1946 to the present. A sharp decline in the crude death rate per 1000 population was noted from 15.1 recorded in 1946 to 7.3 in 1959 and 4.7 in 1994. From 1995 to 1999, it oscillated between 3.7 and 5.0 (NSO 2002). The leading causes of mortality were diseases of the heart, diseases of the vascular system, pneumonia, malignant neoplasm accidents and all forms of tuberculosis (DOH 1999). The 2000 crude death rate for women is 3.9 percent while for men, it is 5.6 percent. 442. From 1995 to 1997, the Philippine total fertility rate was estimated at 3.7 children per woman (NSO 1998). While still high compared to other Southeast Asian countries (3.2 for Malaysia, 2.3 for Indonesia, 2.0 for Thailand, and 1.7 for Singapore), it is lower than the 4.1 reported for 1990 to 1993. The projected total fertility rate for 2003 is 3.15 percent. It is projected to fall to 3.08 in 2004. In fact, in 1999, the total fertility rate was placed at 3.4 children per woman (3.0 in urban areas and 4.7 in rural areas). For 2005, it is expected to further decline to three percent. 118