COVID lowers global life expectancy by 1.6 years

DURING the first two years of the pandemic, COVID-19 lowered the average global life expectancy by 1.6 years, a more significant fall than previously assumed, according to a major study released Tuesday.

This marked a sharp reversal during a decadeslong rise in global life expectancy, according to hundreds of researchers sifting through data for the U.S.-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

“For adults worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a more profound impact than any event seen in half a century, including conflicts and natural disasters,” said Austin Schumacher, an IHME researcher and lead author of the study published in The Lancet journal.

During 2020-2021, life expectancy declined in 84 percent of the 204 countries and territories analyzed, “demonstrating the devastating potential impacts” of new viruses, he said in a statement.

The rate of death for people over 15 rose by 22% for men and 17% for women during this time, the researchers estimated.

Mexico City, Peru and Bolivia were some of the places where life expectancy fell the most.

But there was some good news in the updated estimates of the IHME’s landmark Global Burden of Disease study.

Half a million fewer children under the age of 5 died in 2021 compared to 2019, continuing a long-term decline in child mortality.

IHME researcher Hmwe Hmwe Kyu hailed this “incredible progress,” saying the world should now focus on “the next pandemic and addressing the vast disparities in health across countries.”

And despite the setback during the pandemic, people still live far longer than they used to.

Between 1950 and 2021, the average life expectancy at birth has risen by 23 years, from 49 to 72, the researchers said.