Global life expectancy has risen by 6.2 years since 1990, as reported in a recent study published in The Lancet. The progress in life expectancy over the last three decades can be attributed to a decrease in mortality rates from major causes of death such as diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and ischemic heart disease. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted this positive trend, marking the first instance where deaths from COVID-19 were compared to other causes of death on a global scale.
Despite the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the study indicates that the super-region comprising Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania achieved the highest net gain in life expectancy between 1990 and 2021, with an increase of 8.3 years. This improvement was largely a result of reduced mortality rates from chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, lower respiratory infections, and cancer, with effective management of the COVID-19 crisis contributing significantly to maintaining these advancements. Following closely, South Asia recorded the second-largest net increase in life expectancy among super-regions during the same period, with a gain of 7.8 years primarily due to a significant decline in deaths from diarrheal diseases.
The study underscores the dual impact of remarkable achievements in preventing deaths from diseases like diarrhea and stroke alongside the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Liane Ong, the co-first author of the study and Lead Research Scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, highlighted these contrasting trends in global health outcomes.
Furthermore, the research sheds light on how COVID-19 reshaped the leading causes of death globally for the first time in three decades, with COVID-19 emerging as the second-leading cause of death worldwide, displacing stroke from its long-standing position. The study, based on updated estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, identifies Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as sub-Saharan Africa, as the regions most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of life expectancy losses in 2021. While acknowledging the significant loss of life due to COVID-19, the researchers also pinpoint the factors driving improvements in life expectancy across different regions.
At a regional level, Eastern sub-Saharan Africa experienced the most substantial increase in life expectancy, with a remarkable rise of 10.7 years between 1990 and 2021, primarily attributed to the effective control of diarrheal diseases. East Asia followed with the second-largest gain in life expectancy, attributed to successful reductions in deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The GBD 2021 study provides a comprehensive analysis of mortality patterns by cause of death and years of life lost at various geographical levels, offering insights into the relationship between specific causes of death and changes in life expectancy. The study not only identifies the diseases influencing changes in life expectancy but also examines the evolving disease patterns across different regions over time, providing valuable information for enhancing mortality-reduction strategies and public health interventions.