Covid-19 reduces global average life expectancy by nearly 2 years

The Covid-19 pandemic has reduced global life expectancy by nearly two years between 2019 and 2021, erasing a decade of progress in increasing life expectancy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)'s annual global health statistics study.

Many people need medical care after developing long Covid syndrome. Photo: JONATHAN KOZOWYK

The WHO study found that the Covid-19 pandemic had reversed a steady increase in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. Global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years to 71.4 years, the same level as in 2012. The study added that healthy life expectancy had also fallen by 1.5 years to 61.9 years in 2021, the same level as in 2012.

The findings are more severe than those of a study published in the Lancet in January that found that life expectancy had fallen by 1.6 years during the pandemic. However, the WHO study found that the decline in life expectancy varied by region. The Americas and Southeast Asia were the hardest hit regions, with life expectancy falling by about three years. The Western Pacific was the least affected region, with life expectancy falling by just 0.1 years.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said these figures underscore the importance of the global pandemic security agreement being negotiated in Geneva (Switzerland) to strengthen global health security, while protecting long-term investments in health and promoting equity within and between countries.

PEARL

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/covid-19-khien-tuoi-tho-trung-binh-toan-cau-giam-gan-2-nam-post741521.html