O B S: COVID-19 cut world life expectancy

Pandemia COVID-19 cut world life expectancy for almost two years, when it spread from 2019 and 2021, undoing a decade of progress, the World Health Organisation (OBSH) said on May 24th.

“Pandemia COVID-19 overturned the trend of sustainable life expectancy and healthy life expectancy at east”, the United Nations agency said.

Global life expectancy dropped to 1.8 years, respectively, at 71.4 years, or at the same level as it was in 2012, it was said in the study conducted by WHO.

The period of time that an average person can expect to live in good health dropped to 1.5 years or 61.9 years in 2021 the same level as it was in 2012.

The influence of pandemic on life expectancy is even worse than the findings of a study published by the scientific magazine Lancet in January, where it said that life expectancy fell for 1.6 years.

Researchers of that study stated that COVID-19 had “more impact on” in life expectancy than any other event during the past quarter.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebrreesus said the figures highlight the importance of a global security agreement during the pandemics, which negotiations are under way in Geneva. According to him, such an agreement would strengthen global health security, but also protect long-term investments in health and promote equality among states”.

Lancet's researchers estimated that COVID caused 15.9 million deaths during 2020-2021. Deaths are caused by either the virus or the obstacles caused by the health system as a result of pandemic. / REL