Global Life Expectancy Drops Sharply as WHO Warns of Post-COVID Health Crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed a dramatic 1.8-year decline in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, marking the steepest drop in decades and erasing a decade of health progress, Africanews reported.
The findings, published in the World Health Statistics Report 2025, highlight the pandemic’s lingering devastation, including a six-week reduction in healthy life expectancy due to surging anxiety and depression.
While 1.4 billion more people now live healthier lives—exceeding WHO’s target—critical gaps remain. Only 431 million gained affordable healthcare access, and just 637 million are better shielded from health emergencies. Maternal and child health gains have stalled, risking 700,000 additional maternal deaths and 8 million child deaths by 2030.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease and cancer now cause over half of deaths under age 70. Tobacco use and air pollution persist as major threats, and the world is off track to cut premature NCD deaths by a third by 2030. A projected shortage of 11.1 million health workers by 2030, coupled with malaria resurgences and lagging vaccination rates, exacerbates the crisis.
Despite setbacks, tobacco and alcohol use have declined, and cleaner air and water have improved lives for millions. The WHO urges urgent global action to revive progress toward 2030 health goals, emphasizing sustained funding and data-driven policies.
