Covid-19: Life Expectancy Back To 2012 Level After Pandemic, Says WHO | Know About It

Global life expectancy falls: WHO

Wiping out a decade of progress, the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed global life expectancy by almost two years when it prevailed between 2019 to 2021, the World Health Organization said Friday.

Life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years

In an official statement, WHO said, “From 2019 to 2021, the global life expectancy declined by 1.8 years to reach 71.4 years, returning to the level seen in 2012. Similarly, the global healthy life expectancy decreased by 1.5 years to 61.9 years in 2021, also reverting to the level observed in 2012."

Covid-19 reversed steady gain in life expectancy

"The Covid-19 pandemic reversed the trend of steady gain in life expectancy at birth and healthy life expectancy at birth," the UN health agency said.

Progress in global health is fragile: WHO chief

“..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", said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Variations in global life expectancy data

According to the WHO study, life expectancy did not fall in the same way around the world. Data shows significant variation across geographic locations.

The Americas and Southeast Asia were the worst-hit regions, with life expectancy falling by about three years, it said.

The Western Pacific was the least hit, with life expectancy falling just 0.1 year.

Covid-19 rapidly emerged as a leading cause of death, ranking as the third highest cause of mortality globally in 2020 and the second in 2021. 

Killers before pandemic

Accordig to WHO, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as ischaemic heart disease and stroke, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias, and diabetes were the biggest killers before the pandemic.

Covid -19 death toll

According to Lancet researchers, Covid-19 caused 15.9 million excess deaths during 2020-2021, either from the virus or pandemic-related disruption to health systems.