African Countries Made Huge Gains in Life Expectancy. Now That Could Be Erased.

March 9, 2023

(New York Times) – Success in fighting H.I.V., tuberculosis and other deadly infectious diseases, plus an expansion of essential services, have helped countries in sub-Saharan Africa achieve extraordinary gains in healthy life expectancy over the past two decades — 10 additional years, the largest improvement in the world, the World Health Organization reported recently.

“But this was offset by the dramatic rise in hypertension, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases and the lack of health services targeting these diseases,” the agency said, launching a report on health care in Africa. It warned that the rise in life expectancy could be erased before the next decade is out. (Read More)