Over 680 teachers in KwaZulu-Natal - more than 55 a month - died in-service in the year 2000. Most died from unspecified illnesses, and the average age at the time of death was 36. Between 1999 and 2000, there was a massive 70% increase in deaths of female teachers between the ages of 30 and 34. This is according to figures released last week by the Health Economics and HIV/Aids Research Division (Heard) at the University of Natal.