Increased worldwide human life expectancy reflects better health facilities as the probability of longer life is already a long-term trend, according to global research. It says survival of the older ages has become more common and therefore health among older people varies significantly within the states.
The number of years lived in good health, or at least with no severe disability, has risen in various places. Men live, on average, fewer years than women. Yet older women experience a greater prevalence of disability and morbidity. Given the dominance of cardiovascular disease and cancer as causes of death, dissimilar personal behaviours and diverse exposures to environmental risks both contribute to group variations in mortality and morbidity, including both sexes. Inequalities in education, income and living arrangements, counting those because of race or ethnicity, assist in showing observed differences in the health of individuals and their risks of dying over the life course, the study shows.
Life Expectancy At Birth By Sex, World, Regions And Income Groups | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Region | 1950 | 2021 | 2050 | |||
Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | |
World | 48.4 | 44.6 | 73.8 | 68.4 | 79.8 | 74.8 |
Sub-Saharan Africa | 38.7 | 36.2 | 61.6 | 57.8 | 69.1 | 64.3 |
Northern Africa and Western Asia | 43.4 | 39.8 | 74.8 | 69.7 | 80.8 | 76.0 |
Central and Southern Asia | 40.2 | 41.5 | 69.6 | 65.9 | 79.4 | 74.9 |
Eastern and South-Eastern Asia | 45.6 | 40.3 | 79.6 | 73.6 | 84.1 | 79.4 |
Latin America and the Caribbean | 50.8 | 46.5 | 75.8 | 68.8 | 83.1 | 78.1 |
Australia/New Zealand | 71.6 | 66.7 | 85.6 | 82.7 | 88.6 | 85.4 |
Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) | 43.9 | 40.3 | 70.1 | 64.6 | 74.9 | 68.4 |
Europe and Northern America | 66.6 | 61.2 | 80.4 | 73.9 | 86.1 | 81.6 |
World Bank income groups | ||||||
High-income countries | 65.0 | 58.2 | 83.1 | 77.5 | 87.6 | 83.4 |
Middle-income countries | 44.9 | 42.2 | 72.7 | 67.6 | 79.6 | 74.8 |
Low-income countries | 35.1 | 28.6 | 65.0 | 60.0 | 71.6 | 66.0 |
Uneven access to affordable, quality health care can lead to unequal use of services and disparities in life expectancy. Rapid growth in the number of people reaching older ages highlights the significance of promoting health and preventing and treating illness throughout the life course, as situations experienced earlier in life can have a substantial impact on a person’s health and well-being at older ages. Furthermore, societies with aging populations need to adapt to increasing numbers of older persons with a wide range of functional abilities.
The ability to perform critical functions and to participate in everyday activities depends not only on the intrinsic capacity of individuals but also on the social and physical environments in which they live. Supportive environments can help older persons to remain active and independent as they age.
Alarming situation
In the developing countries mainly Pakistan showed alarmingly poor health indicators, with a fall in vaccination rates and life expectancy, despite attempts, reveals the Economic Survey of Pakistan for FY 2022-23. Statistics showed a 2 per cent fall in measles vaccination rates, with a drop from 83 per cent in 2020 to 81 per cent in 2021. During the previous government tenure, life expectancy, which has been steadily growing globally, dipped in Pakistan, while the life expectancy at birth also went down from 66.3 years in 2020 to 66.1 years in 2021. Meanwhile, other health indicators also revealed limited improvement or even regression. The neonatal mortality rate declined slightly from 40.4 per 1,000 live births in 2020 to 39.4 in the subsequent year.
Similarly, the under-five mortality rate declined from 65.5 to 63.3 children per 1,000 live births. While there was a slight improvement in the infants mortality rate, it dropped from 54.4 to 52.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021. Statistics also showed that women’s health also stayed a concern, as the survey showed the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age (15-49 years), barely falling from 41.4 per cent in 2018 to 41.3 per cent in 2019. Additionally, exclusive breastfeeding rates for infants up to five months of age increased only slightly from 47.5 per cent in 2018 to 47.8 per cent in 2019.
Despite a rise in the number of healthcare professionals, the overall health indicators remain unsatisfactory. An increase in the number of doctors from 266,430 in 2021 to 282,383 in 2022, dentists from 30,501 to 33,156, nurses from 121,245 to 127,855, and midwives from 44,110 to 46,110.
Acknowledging the contribution of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) in the healthcare sector, the survey showed that almost 80 per cent of the cancer burden in Pakistan is administered by PAEC’s well-equipped cancer hospitals, which provide treatment to almost 40,000 cancer patients yearly.
International statistics revealed that the total world population passed the 8 billion milestone in November 2022. The progression from 7 to 8 billion people took a mere 12 years, conjuring up long-standing fears associated with rapid population growth, counting food shortages, rampant unemployment, the depletion of natural resources, and unchecked environmental degradation.
The pandemic affected worldwide population size and growth only slightly, despite an estimated 15 million direct and indirect Covid-19-related deaths and an almost 2-year fall in life expectancy worldwide during the first 2 years of the pandemic (UNDESA 2022). Although it exacerbated inequalities and potentially created new economic burdens as a result of long Covid symptoms, the impact on fertility remains uncertain.