Oct 21, 2024
By: Kapil Yadav
Credit: World Health Organisation
The pandemic reversed over a decade of gains in global life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, bringing them back to levels seen in 2012 and 2016, respectively.
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The Americas and South-East Asia experienced the most significant declines in life expectancy (approximately 3 years), while the Western Pacific region saw minimal impact.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 73.9% of deaths in 2019, but this share decreased during the pandemic as communicable diseases surged, with COVID-19 becoming one of the top three causes of death globally in 2020 and 2021.
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None of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been achieved, and most indicators are not on track to meet targets by 2030, although 42 indicators show positive trends.
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The world is falling short of UHC targets, with only 585 million additional people expected to gain access to essential health services by 2025, significantly below the one billion target.
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The double burden of malnutrition persists, with over one billion adults living with obesity and more than half a billion underweight. Effective strategies are needed to address both undernutrition and obesity.
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Approximately 1.3 billion people globally live with disabilities and face significant health inequities due to systemic barriers that require targeted interventions.
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Despite not being inherently less healthy than host populations, refugees and migrants often face significant health disparities due to barriers to access to healthcare services.
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The report emphasizes the necessity for robust health systems that can adapt to emerging challenges, ensuring equitable access to care for all populations.
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There is an urgent need for increased investments and coordinated efforts at all levels to meet health-related SDG targets and improve global health outcomes by 2030.
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