Africa recorded a ten-year growth in its life expectancy from 2000 to 2019. On Thursday, the World Health Organisation, Africa office stated that the healthy life expectancy in the region rose from 46 years in 2000 to 56 years in 2019. Dr. Lindiwe Makubalo, Assistant Regional Director for WHO, stated that the gain exceeds the average global life expectancy over the same period. She attributed this growth to better essential health services, improvement in health service coverage, productive and maternal health, and health services to tackle infectious diseases.

She added that unless the country strengthens its efforts and makes greater investments in the development of health systems along with effective catchup plans, the gain in life expectancy can be easily lost. She warned that the COVID-19 pandemic had disrupted the essential healthcare services in Africa to a greater extent in comparison to other regions. Health systems across the continent have been outstretched by the pandemic along with other disease outbreaks, such as monkeypox, cholera, and Lassa fever.

(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/who-africa-sees-10-year-growth-in-healthy-life-expectancy/93362754 )