The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a report highlighting the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health, particularly on life expectancy. According to the report, global life expectancy declined by 1.8 years to 71.4 years between 2019 and 2021, reversing almost ten years of progress. The report also emphasizes the unequal impact of the pandemic across regions, with the Americas and Southeast Asia experiencing a significant decline in life expectancy by around 3 years, while the Western Pacific Region saw minimal effects during the initial two years of the pandemic.
The report also highlights the considerable health challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, refugees, and migrants. In 2021, approximately 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, were living with disabilities. This group is disproportionately affected by health inequities resulting from avoidable, unjust, and unfair conditions.
While progress has been made towards the Triple Billion targets and health-related indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2018, challenges such as rising obesity rates, high tobacco use, and persistent air pollution continue to hinder progress. Universal Health Coverage has expanded to encompass 585 million more people, although falling short of the target of one billion. Moreover, only 777 million more individuals are expected to be adequately protected during health emergencies by 2025, failing to meet the one billion target outlined in the WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work.
The report emphasizes the need for accelerated progress and the effective utilization of data to deliver greater impact in countries. Without such efforts, it is unlikely that any of the health SDGs will be met by 2030.
