GLOBAL LIFE EXPECTANCY IS LOWEST IN OVER A DECADE AS A RESULT OF COVID: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Friday, May 24, that global life expectancy has reached its lowest point in over a decade, now averaging 71.4 years. This indicates that nearly ten years of progress in extending life expectancy have been lost.

The WHO’s World Health Statistics report highlighted a decline in global life expectancy from 73.2 years in 2019 to 71.4 years in 2021, with healthy life expectancy dropping from 63.4 years to 61.9 years in the same period. The Americas and Southeast Asia experienced the most significant declines, with life expectancy falling by approximately three years.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out a decade of life expectancy gains within just two years. He stressed the need for a new Pandemic Agreement to enhance global health security and protect long-term health investments.

Covid-19 was a leading cause of death, ranking third globally in 2020 and second in 2021, with nearly 13 million deaths attributed to the virus. The report also noted that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes were the leading causes of death before the pandemic, accounting for 74% of all deaths in 2019. Even during the pandemic, NCDs continued to account for 78% of non-Covid deaths.

The report also highlighted that refugees, migrants, and the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities faced significant health inequities. Access to healthcare for these groups remains limited, with only half of the 84 countries surveyed between 2018 and 2021 providing government-funded health services at levels comparable to their citizens.

On a positive note, since 2018, 1.5 billion more people have achieved better health and well-being, and universal health coverage has expanded to 585 million more individuals. However, only 777 million more people are expected to have adequate protection during health emergencies by 2025.

WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact, Samira Asma, warned that without accelerated progress, it is unlikely that any of the health Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be met by 2030.