The pandemic Covid-19 reduced life expectancy by almost two years between 2019 and 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed on Friday, destroying a decade of progress.
Between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, the 2012 level, according to the WHO’s annual report on global health statistics.
Likewise, a person’s hope of being able to live in good health decreased by 1.5 years and stood at 61.9 years in 2021, also the level of 2012.
“In just two years, the covid-19 pandemic eliminated a decade of progress in life expectancy”, highlighted the director general of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom.
“That is why the new agreement on pandemics” that the WHO member countries are negotiating, “is so important,” he stressed.
In his opinion, said treaty can serve “not only to strengthen global health security, but also to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity within and between countries”.
Life expectancy did not decrease in the same way around the world during the Covid-19 pandemic, which claimed millions of lives.
According to a WHO statement, the Americas and Southeast Asia regions were the most affected, with a decrease in life expectancy of approximately 3 years and healthy life expectancy of 2.5 years.
In contrast, the Western Pacific region was the least affected, with declines of less than 0.1 years in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy during the same period.
Source: Gestion
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