Pandemic Reverses Decade of Progress in Healthy Life Expectancy: Report

The pandemic negated nearly ten years of progress in just two years. Between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, reverting to the 2012 level.

The latest World Health Statistics report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed a decade of progress in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at birth (HALE).

The pandemic negated nearly ten years of progress in just two years. Between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, reverting to the 2012 level. Similarly, global healthy life expectancy decreased by 1.5 years to 61.9 years, also returning to 2012 levels.

The 2024 report highlights the unequal impact of the pandemic across regions. The Americas and South-East Asia were hardest hit, with life expectancy dropping by about 3 years and healthy life expectancy by 2.5 years. In contrast, the Western Pacific Region experienced minimal impact, with losses of less than 0.1 years in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy.

"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," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "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 Remain Top Killers

COVID-19 quickly became a leading cause of death, ranking as the third highest cause of mortality globally in 2020 and the second in 2021, with nearly 13 million lives lost. In the Americas, COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for both years. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's, and diabetes remained the top killers, responsible for 74% of all deaths in 2019 and 78% of non-COVID deaths during the pandemic.

Rising Obesity and Malnutrition

The world faces a dual burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition coexisting with obesity. In 2022, over one billion people aged five and older were living with obesity, while more than half a billion were underweight. Child malnutrition is also significant, with 148 million children under five affected by stunting, 45 million suffering from wasting, and 37 million overweight.

Health Inequities for Vulnerable Populations

The report highlights significant health challenges for persons with disabilities, refugees, and migrants. In 2021, about 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, had a disability, facing disproportionate health inequities. Access to healthcare for refugees and migrants remains limited, with only half of the 84 countries surveyed between 2018 and 2021 providing government-funded health services to these groups at levels comparable to their citizens.

Progress Towards Global Health Targets

Despite setbacks, progress has been made towards 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. Universal Health Coverage has expanded to 585 million more people, though still short of the goal for one billion. Additionally, 777 million more people are expected to be adequately protected during health emergencies by 2025, still falling short of the one billion target.

"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," said Dr. Samira Asma, WHO Assistant Director-General for Data, Analytics, and Delivery for Impact. "Without accelerating progress, it is unlikely that any of the health SDGs will be met by 2030."