Covid-19 marked a historic decline in global life expectancy in 2020 and 2021, interrupting an upward trend observed for decades. A recent study published in the Lancet reveals that, of more than 200 countries analyzed, 84% saw their life expectancy decrease during the pandemic, with an average drop of 1.6 years. This period was also marked by an excess mortality of 15.9 million people, slightly higher than WHO estimates.
According to Austin Schumacher of IHME, the impact of the pandemic on adults is unprecedented in fifty years, surpassing wars and natural disasters. However, the study does not clearly distinguish deaths directly due to Covid from those resulting from health restrictions.
Despite these figures, the study highlights a decline in infant mortality, with 500,000 fewer deaths among those under five in 2021 compared to 2019. Hmwe Hmwe Kyu, also from IHME, considers this decline to be significant progress and calls for preventing future pandemics while mitigating health inequalities between countries.
 Frank Verain
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15/03/2024 | 
