Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Global life expectancy is back to pre-pandemic levels, but deaths among
teens and young adults are rising
Human ingenuity seems to have been conquering infectious diseases. The
number of deaths from measles, diarrheal diseases, and tuberculosis has
declined since 1950 worldwide. Even Covid-19, which was the leading cause of
death in 2021, was quickly contained to 20th place only after two
years, thanks to the quick development and distribution of Covid vaccines, global
efforts to limit person-to-person contacts, extensive testing, and mask-wearing.
In 2023, the world’s average life expectancy was 76.3 years for women and 71.5
years for men, though it still varies by region. It goes as high as 83 years in
wealthy regions but stays as low as 62 years in sub-Saharan Africa. As humans
live longer, noncommunicable diseases now account for around two-thirds of global
mortality and morbidity, including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s
disease. It seems that longer life expectancy poses new challenges to living a
healthy life.
Read the article and learn how our life expectancy has increased.
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