GENEVA —

Life expectancy in Africa rose by nearly 10 years between 2000 and 2019, from 46
years to 56 years, according to the World Health Organization's State of Health in
Africa report released Thursday.

However, WHO officials note that is still well below the global average of 64 years.
WHO Assistant Regional Director for Africa Lindiwe Makubalo warned the life
expectancy gains could easily be lost unless countries strengthen and make greater
investments in the development of health care systems.

Speaking from the Republic of Congo's capital, Brazzaville, she said Africa has made a
good start in that direction over the past two decades. On average, she noted, access
to essential services like basic primary health care improved to 46% in 2019
compared with 24% in 2000.

"Other factors include improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child

health," Makubalo said. "Additionally, the rapid scale-up of health services to tackle
infectious diseases such as HIV and TB, as well as malaria, over the past 15 years has
been a strong catalyst for improved health life expectancy."

While progress has been made in preventing and treating infectious diseases, the
report found health services for noncommunicable diseases are lagging. It says the
dramatic rise in hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other noncommunicable diseases
could jeopardize health gains if those conditions continue to be neglected.

The report says the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed greater disruptions to
essential health services on the African continent compared to other regions of the
world.

Makubalo said those disruptions might affect healthy life expectancy estimates.

"As governments work to restore affected health services, it is crucial not only to aim
to re-establish health systems to pre-pandemic levels. Rather, it is important that
significant improvements are made, and they are needed to ensure quality, equitable
and accessible services for all," she said.

The report notes some progress has been made in achieving universal health
coverage, but it is far from enough. Health officials say one of the key measures to
improve access to health services is for governments to increase their public health
budgets.

That, they say, would reduce the catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditures by

households that are pushing millions of people into poverty.