ITP
Johannesburg, August 6
Average life expectancy in the African region increased by an average of 10 years per person between 2000 and 2019, the WHO said, describing the increase as greater than in any other region in the world during the same period.
But the World Health Organization has also warned that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of this period could have a disruptive impact on these enormous advances in the future.
Sharing details of a report called ‘WHO African Region Universal Health Coverage Tracking 2020’ released during an online press conference on Friday from its headquarters in Brazzaville, the world health body said the number of years that an individual is in good health: increased to 56 years in 2019, compared to 46 in 2000.
While the increase in life expectancy in Africa is still well below the global average of 64 years, over the same period, global healthy life expectancy increased by just five years, according to the report.
Among the reasons cited for this increase in life expectancy in Africa are improvements in the delivery of essential health services, advances in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, as well as progress in the fight against diseases infectious.
In particular, the rapid expansion of control measures for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria starting in 2005 helped increase healthy life expectancy.
Coverage of essential health services on the African continent improved to 46% in 2019, compared to 24% in 2000.
But while there have been significant gains in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, there has also been a dramatic increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, with a lack of health services that address these diseases.
“The marked increase in healthy life expectancy over the past two decades is a testament to the region’s drive to improve the health and well-being of the population. In essence, it means more people are living healthier and longer lives, with fewer threats from infectious diseases and with better access to care and disease prevention services,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. .
Moeti called for more attention to other diseases.
“Unless countries improve measures against the threat of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, health gains could be jeopardized,” Moeti said.
The report said it was critical for governments to contribute more to their national health budgets.
He said most governments in Africa fund less than 50 percent of their national health budgets, leading to large funding gaps.
Only Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eswatini, Gabon, Seychelles, and South Africa finance more than 50 percent of their national health budgets.
“COVID-19 has shown how investing in health is essential for the security of a country. The better Africa can cope with pandemics and other health threats, the more our people and economies will prosper. I urge governments to invest in health and be prepared to face the next pathogen that comes our way,” Moeti said.
