When 29-year-old Nonhlanhla discovered that she was both pregnant and HIV positive, she was frightened, but through antiretroviral treatment and uninterrupted breastfeeding, her six-month-old son, Answer, is healthy and HIV-free. Unless countries enhance measures against the threat of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, the health gains could be jeopardized.” “People are living healthier, longer lives, with fewer threats of infectious diseases and with better access to care and disease prevention services,” said Dr. Benefits of tackling diseaseĬonsiderable progress against infectious diseases has also contributed to longer life expectancy, WHO said, pointing to the rapid scale-up of HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria control measures from 2005.ĭespite these welcome initiatives in preventing and treating infectious diseases, the UN agency cautioned that these gains had been offset by a “dramatic” rise in hypertension, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases, in addition to the lack of health services targeting these diseases. In particular, the continent has benefited from better access to essential health services – up from 24 per cent in 2000 to 46 per cent in 2019 – along with gains in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. The continent’s health ministries should be credited for their “drive” to improve health and wellbeing among populations, said Dr. “While still well below the global average of 64, over the same period, global healthy life expectancy increased by only five years,” it explained. Healthier for longerĪccording to the UN agency’s report, Tracking Universal Health Coverage in the WHO African Region 2022, life-expectancy on the continent has increased to 56 years, compared with 46 at the turn of the century. “ This rise is greater than in any other region of the world during the same period,” the WHO said, before warning that the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten “these huge gains”.
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