COVID-19 Cuts Global Life Expectancy by Nearly 2 Years: WHO

In a sobering revelation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global life expectancy. 

According to the latest World Health Statistics 2024 report, the pandemic has reversed nearly a decade of progress in life expectancy within just two years. 

From 2019 to 2021, global life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years, falling to 71.4 years, which is equivalent to the levels observed in 2012. 

Similarly, global healthy life expectancy decreased by 1.5 years to 61.9 years, also rolling back to 2012 levels.

The report underscores the uneven impact of the pandemic across different regions. 

The Americas and South-East Asia experienced the most significant declines, with life expectancy dropping by approximately 3 years and healthy life expectancy by 2.5 years. 

Conversely, the Western Pacific Region saw minimal impact, with less than 0.1 years lost in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy during the same period.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented on the findings: “There continues to be major progress in global health, with billions of people enjoying better health, better access to services, and better protection from health emergencies. 

But we must remember how fragile progress can be. 

In just two years, the COVID-19 pandemic erased a decade of gains in life expectancy. 

That's why the new Pandemic Agreement is so important: not only to strengthen global health security, but to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity within and between countries.”

Noncommunicable Diseases and COVID-19: Leading Causes of Death

During the pandemic, COVID-19 rapidly became a leading cause of death globally, ranking as the third highest cause in 2020 and the second in 2021. Nearly 13 million lives were lost to the virus during this period. 

Except in the African and Western Pacific regions, COVID-19 was among the top five causes of death worldwide, notably becoming the leading cause of death in the Americas for both years.

Even amidst the pandemic, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as ischemic heart disease, stroke, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes remained the top killers. 

In 2019, NCDs accounted for 74% of all deaths and continued to dominate, causing 78% of non-COVID deaths during the pandemic.

The Double Burden of Malnutrition

The WHO report also highlights a growing global health challenge: the double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with overweight and obesity. 

As of 2022, over one billion people aged five years and older were living with obesity, while more than half a billion were underweight. 

Childhood malnutrition remains a critical issue, with 148 million children under five years old affected by stunting, 45 million suffering from wasting, and 37 million overweight.

Health Inequities Among Vulnerable Populations

The pandemic has exacerbated health inequities, particularly among persons with disabilities, refugees, and migrants. 

In 2021, about 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, had disabilities, and this group faces disproportionate health challenges due to avoidable, unjust, and unfair conditions.

Access to healthcare for refugees and migrants is also limited. Between 2018 and 2021, only half of the 84 countries surveyed provided government-funded health services to these groups at levels comparable to their citizens. 

This highlights the urgent need for health systems to address persisting inequities and adapt to the changing demographic needs of global populations.

Progress Towards Health-Related SDGs and the Triple Billion Targets

Despite the setbacks caused by the pandemic, some progress has been made towards achieving the Triple Billion targets and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Since 2018, an additional 1.5 billion people have achieved better health and well-being. 

However, rising obesity, high tobacco use, and persistent air pollution continue to hinder progress.

Universal Health Coverage has expanded to 585 million more people, falling short of the goal for one billion. 

Additionally, only 777 million more people are likely to be adequately protected during health emergencies by 2025, missing the target set in WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work. 

This protection is increasingly critical as the effects of climate change and other global crises threaten health security.

Dr. Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact, emphasized the importance of accelerating progress: “While we have made progress towards the Triple Billion targets since 2018, a lot still needs to be done. 

Data is WHO’s superpower. We need to use it better to deliver more impact in countries. 

Without accelerating progress, it is unlikely that any of the health SDGs will be met by 2030.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has starkly illustrated the fragility of global health progress. The significant decline in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy underscores the need for robust health systems and equitable access to healthcare. 

As the world continues to navigate the pandemic's aftermath, it is crucial to strengthen global health security, protect long-term health investments, and promote equity to safeguard against future crises.