The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this Friday from Geneva that the average global life expectancy has reached 73,3 years, very close to the level recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, while warning that "non-communicable diseases account for an increasing proportion of mortality."
Amid the gradual recovery from global health disruptions, the international organization detailed that, during 2023, the average global life expectancy "reached 73,3 years, close to the figure of 73,4 years recorded in 2019," which consolidates an important demographic recovery after the most critical years of the international emergency.
The report presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva reflects a decisive turning point in global demography and public health: the gradual recovery after the devastating impact of COVID-19 and the acceleration of a chronic challenge that is reassigning health priorities on a global scale, agencies said.
Recovery of life expectancy after the pandemic
The increase in average life expectancy to 73,3 years represents a solid recovery from the severe loss of life years suffered between 2020 and 2021. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, direct and indirect mortality caused a historic setback that erased almost a decade of progress in global health.
- Return to the 2019 baseline: the current level places the world's population very close to the figures prior to the global health crisis, confirming the positive impact of mass vaccination campaigns, acquired immunity and the gradual restoration of primary care systems.
- Resilience of health systems: shows that, despite the initial collapse, the global health response capacity managed to stabilize basic mortality indicators in a relatively short time.
The structural gap
Despite the global average figure, the report indicates disparities between regions and socioeconomic levels:
- Gap between developed and developing countries: while in high-income nations life expectancy frequently exceeds 80 years, in several low-income countries (especially in sub-Saharan Africa) it lags behind at around 60-64 years.
- Impact on quality of life: An increase in life expectancy does not necessarily imply a longer healthy life expectancy (HALE). The years gained are often accompanied by disabilities or functional limitations if there is no adequate preventive care.
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)
The central point of the WHO warning, according to the agencies' report, revolves around the change in the global mortality pattern: non-communicable diseases are replacing infectious diseases as the main cause of premature death.
The main pathologies responsible for this increase in global mortality are led by cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, followed by cancer, with a marked incidence in lung, breast, colorectal and prostate tumors.
These are in addition to chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), along with type 2 diabetes and various metabolic disorders closely linked to sedentary lifestyles.
The onset and worsening of all these conditions are driven by key risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse, lack of physical activity, air pollution, and dietary habits based on diets high in sugars and ultra-processed fats.
Urgent restructuring
The WHO diagnosis calls for an urgent restructuring of how governments finance and manage their health systems, requiring a shift from a reactive model focused on curing acute disease to a preventive model focused on risk management and early detection of chronic conditions.
This transformation is essential to ensure financial sustainability, given that non-communicable diseases require prolonged and costly treatments that represent an unsustainable burden for families and state budgets if not addressed promptly. Likewise, intervention in the social determinants of health through intersectoral policies that promote access to healthy food, guarantee spaces for physical activity, and establish strict environmental regulations is indispensable.
