Global life expectancy hits lowest level in over a decade: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that global life expectancy is at its lowest in over a decade, according to a report.

The current average age a person is expected to live is now 71.4 years, a significant decline that shows that nearly a decade of progress in extending global life spans was lost.

The WHO’s World Health Statistics report pointed out that between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy decreased by 1.8 years, from 73.2 to 71.4 years. During the same period, the healthy life expectancy also declined by 1.5 years, dropping to 61.9 years.

Decline in Global Life Expectancy Highlighted in WHO’s

Americas and Southeast Asia, were the regions most severely affected by this decline where life expectancy fell by approximately three years.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health. “In just two years, the Covid-19 pandemic erased a decade of gains in life expectancy,” he stated. He highlighted the need for a new Pandemic Agreement “not only to strengthen global health security, but to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity”.

COVID-19 has come out as a leading cause of death during the pandemic, ranking third globally in 2020 and second in 2021, with nearly 13 million lives lost to the virus.

The WHO report also mentions that, before the pandemic, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes were the leading causes of death.

In 2019, NCDs accounted for 74 percent of all deaths worldwide. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, NCDs continued to be a significant cause of mortality, responsible for 78 percent of non-COVID deaths.

The report also highlighted the disproportionate health inequities faced by refugees, migrants, and the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities. It is pointed out as access to healthcare for these vulnerable groups remains limited.

The WHO’s findings showcases that only half of the 84 countries surveyed between 2018 and 2021 provided government-funded health services to refugees and migrants at levels comparable to those available to their citizens.

Despite these findings, there are some positive developments aswell. Since 2018, 1.5 billion more people have achieved better health and well-being, and universal health coverage has been expanded to 585 million more individuals. However, only 777 million more people are likely to have adequate protection needed during health emergencies by 2025.

Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact, highlighted the urgency of accelerating progress to meet health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She stated, “Without accelerating progress, it is unlikely that any of the health SDGs will be met by 2030.”

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