Covid-19 has reduced life expectancy. We finally know by how much

New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 13, 2024 17:28 IST

The Covid-19 pandemic was one of the worst event the planet experienced in over half a century that has had an event on everyone directly or indirectly.

Researchers, in a study published in The Lancet, have unveiled the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global health, revealing significant drops in life expectancy in various parts of the world.

According to the latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, the pandemic led to a decrease in global life expectancy by 1.6 years between 2019 and 2021, marking a stark reversal from previous trends of improvement.

Despite the grim statistics for adults, the study offers a glimmer of hope as it reports a continued decline in child mortality rates during the pandemic. Remarkably, there were half a million fewer deaths among children under five in 2021 compared to 2019, with mortality rates in this age group decreasing by 7 per cent over the same period.

Dr Austin E. Schumacher, Acting Assistant Professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, emphasised the unprecedented nature of the pandemic's impact, stating, "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."

The research also highlighted previously underreported areas of high mortality due to Covid-19, such as Jordan and Nicaragua, and noted significant life expectancy declines in South African provinces like KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

In contrast, regions like Barbados, New Zealand, and Antigua and Barbuda experienced some of the lowest age-adjusted excess mortality rates during the pandemic.

While the pandemic claimed approximately 16 million lives globally in 2020 and 2021, it did not completely erase the progress made since 1950, with life expectancy at birth having risen by nearly 23 years over the past seven decades.

The GBD 2021 study not only assesses the immediate impacts of the pandemic but also explores its implications for the future of healthcare systems, economies, and societies worldwide. It underscores the importance of building on current successes, preparing for future pandemics, and addressing health disparities across countries.

Moreover, the study observes shifting demographic trends, including slowing population growth and an ageing global population, which pose new social, economic, and political challenges.