R report by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reveals that the global mortality rate has declined by 67 per cent since 1950, in spite of population growth and aging.
The study, which covered 204 countries and territories as well as 660 subnational locations between 1990 and 2023 was published in The Lancet medical journal and released on its website on Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the findings were presented and unveiled at the ongoing World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, holding from Sunday to Tuesday.
According to the report, global life expectancy has returned to pre-pandemic levels, rising by more than 20 years since 1950 to 76.3 years for females and 71.5 years for males.
The study, however, highlighted of wide regional disparities, with life expectancy ranging from as high as 83 years in high-income regions to as low as 62 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
While global health indicators had improved, the report warned of an emerging crisis of higher death rates among adolescents and young adults.
It attributed the rise to suicide and substance use in North and Latin America and to infectious diseases and unintentional injuries in sub-Saharan Africa.
It said that between 2011 and 2023, the highest increase in deaths was recorded among those aged 20 to 39 in high-income North America, largely due to suicide, drug overdose and excessive alcohol use.
The report also noted that deaths among those aged 5 to 19 rose in Eastern Europe, high-income North America and the Caribbean within the same period.
It said that while the global mean age at death increased from 46.4 in 1990 to 62.9 years in 2023, geographic inequities were profound.
“The highest mean age of death was recorded in the high-income super-region, with females reaching 80.5 years and males at 74.4 years.
“The lowest mean age of death was in sub-Saharan Africa, with females at 37.1 years and males at 34.8 years.
“The all-cause probability of dying before age 70 decreased across each GBD super-region and region from 2000 to 2023, with drug use disorders as one of the leading causes.
“ In sub-Saharan Africa, the probability increased for many Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), and the mean age of death from NCDs was lower than expected,“ it stated.
According to the report, new data and methods uncovered higher mortality among girls and women (ages 15–29 years) in sub-Saharan Africa is 61 per cent greater than previously reported.
In Nigeria, it showed that fewer people were dying now than in 1990, showing better health and longer lives for both men and women.
It revealed a significant decline in the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) between 1990 and 2023.
Data showed that the rate for both sexes dropped from 1,722.41 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990 to 1,085.19 in 2023.
For males, it fell from 1,846.59 to 1,182.86, while for females, it declined from 1,599.20 to 1,003.34, indicating improved health outcomes and increased life expectancy across the population.
It noted that tremendous progress has been made in slashing many infectious diseases and injuries and in improving the health of newborns, but cuts to development assistance for health threaten this success.
The report explained that more children aged 5 to 14 in sub-Saharan Africa died between 1950 and 2021 than earlier estimates showed, mainly due to respiratory infections, tuberculosis, other diseases and unintentional injuries.
The report revealed that deaths among young women aged 15 to 29 in sub-Saharan Africa were 61 per cent higher than earlier estimates, mainly due to maternal mortality, road injuries and meningitis.
It stated that many countries particularly those with the fewest resources—need better access to prevention and treatment for non-communicable diseases.
According to the report NCDs account for nearly two-thirds of the world’s total death and disability, led by ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
It stated that half of the world’s disease burden was preventable and driven by 88 modifiable risks, with the top three being high blood pressure, air pollution and smoking.
It further noted that the burden of mental disorders continued to surge globally, with anxiety and depression increasing death and disability by 63 per cent and 26 per cent respectively.
NAN reports that the study was led by Dr Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine alongside its GBD Collaborator Network.
The researchers collected and analysed data and produced estimates for 375 diseases and injuries and 88 risk factors by age and sex from 1990 to 2023.
The Lancet is a peer-reviewed medical journal founded in 1823 in the United Kingdom covering global health, medicine and public health policy.
