The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the covid 19 pandemic has shortened life expectancy worldwide by 1.8 years, to 71.4 years.
The WHO emphasized that the effects are felt unevenly around the world. The regions of North and South America and Southeast Asia are the hardest hit, with life expectancy falling by around three years and healthy life expectancy falling by two and a half years between 2019 and 2021.
In contrast, the Western Pacific region was minimally affected during the first two years of the pandemic, with losses of less than 0.1 year in life expectancy and 0.2 year in healthy life expectancy.
The statistical report states that the pandemic has reversed the trend of steady increases in overall life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.
In just two years, the pandemic has wiped out nearly a decade of progress in improving life expectancy.
Global healthy life expectancy fell by 1.5 years to 61.9 years in 2021, returning to 2012 levels, the report said.
