The Covid-19 pandemic reduced life expectancy; study reveals that people will live less.

GENEVA.— In just two years, corresponding to the acute phase of the Covid-19 pandemic —between 2019 and 2021—, humanity lost 1.8 years of life expectancy , revealed yesterday the World Health Organization ( WHO ) when presenting the compendium of its annual statistics.

This reversed what had taken two decades to achieve and represented the largest decline in life expectancy in recent history.

This is in addition to the deaths caused by Covid-19, which numbered seven million , according to official figures reported to the WHO, although the same organization estimates that the number was actually more than double if direct and indirect deaths are taken into account.

According to solid statistics that have only recently become available for those years, the pandemic caused a widespread decline in the physical and mental well-being of populations , resulting not only in a reduction in life expectancy , but also in something that many consider even more important: healthy life expectancy.

Anxiety and depression disorders , triggered by the health crisis , have had a significant impact and are blamed for a six-week reduction in healthy life expectancy, virtually erasing all the progress made in the fight against non-communicable diseases , the WHO said.

In line with the setbacks or stagnation in global health, statistics show that maternal and child deaths are not declining fast enough, a slowdown that comes after a long period (between 2000 and 2023) in which maternal deaths fell by more than 40% and those of children under five were halved.

" Lack of investment in primary care, a shortage of qualified health personnel, and deficiencies in services such as vaccination and safe childbirth care are holding many countries back," the international organization lamented.

Projections indicate that by 2030 the world will have a shortage of 11 million healthcare professionals.

There is also concern that coverage of essential childhood vaccinations has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

There are positive aspects, as progress has been made in some areas of health, particularly in combating infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis , the incidence of which has decreased over the past two decades, and the number of people living healthier lives has also increased.

This improvement is attributed to reduced tobacco consumption, improved air quality, and better access to water, hygiene, and sanitation. However, cuts in international aid, including funding for all types of health programs in developing countries, have raised new concerns.