Life expectancy has increased by 6.2 years since 1990 as major causes of death such as diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, strokes and ischaemic heart disease have been addressed, according to a study published in The Lancet.
However, poor management of the Covid-19 pandemic has limited progress in many places.
The region that includes Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania had the largest increase in life expectancy between 1990 and 2021 amounting to 8.3 years, mainly due to reductions in mortality from chronic respiratory diseases, strokes, lower respiratory infections and cancer. The strong management of the pandemic has helped to maintain these numbers.
South Asia had the second largest increase in life expectancy (7.8 years), mainly due to a sharp decline in deaths from diarrhoeal diseases.
Regionally, eastern sub-Saharan Africa showed the largest increase in life expectancy, by 10.7 years.
Overall, the reduction in deaths from intestinal diseases increased global life expectancy by 1.1 years between 1990 and 2021. Reductions in deaths from lower respiratory tract infections added 0.9 years to global life expectancy.
Progress in preventing deaths from other causes, including stroke, neonatal disorders, ischaemic heart disease and cancer, also contributed to the increase in life expectancy.
The researchers highlight the locations where some of the most burdensome diseases are now concentrated, highlighting opportunities for intervention.
For example, in 2021 deaths from intestinal diseases were heavily concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Moreover, 90% of malaria deaths occurred in a region populated by just 12% of the world’s population and stretching from western sub-Saharan Africa, through central Africa, to Mozambique.
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The researchers also identified uneven progress against conditions such as ischaemic heart disease, stroke and cancer. High-income countries have reduced deaths from many types of non-communicable diseases, unlike many low-income countries.
The study, conducted by the US-based independent research Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, also highlights how Covid-19 has radically changed the five leading causes of death for the first time in 30 years.
It displaced a long-dominant killer, stroke, to become the world’s second leading cause of death.
The regions that the Covid-19 pandemic hit hardest were Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sub-Saharan Africa.
Finally, the study reveals growing threats from non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and kidney disease, which are increasing in every country.
