Report Shows Life Expectancy Grows Worldwide

Report Shows Life Expectancy Grows Worldwide

A World Health Organization annual report shows that life expectancy has grown worldwide, with major gains in some of the poorest regions in the world. The report announced that a girl born in 2012 can live to reach 73 years while a boy can reach the age of 68. The gains are significant considering that the report shows a 6 year gain from children that werebeen born in 1990.

The United States ranked 37^th with female life expectancy at 81 years while male life expectancy was at 76 years of age. The highest life expectancy for women was registered in Japan with 87 years while the highest life expectancy for men can be found in Iceland with 81.2 years.

Third world countries have made the most significant gains, some registering in the double digits. For example Liberia saw a 20 year increase from 42 to 62 years; Maldives from 58 to 77 years; East Timor from 50 to 66 years, Ethiopia from 45 to 64 years; Rwanda from 48 to 65 years and Cambodia from 54 to 72 years.

The World Health Organization cited three major causes for the worldwide increase in life expectancy, they are: increased attention to childhood infections, premature birth and birth complications in poor countries; better heart disease and stroke control in rich countries and declining tobacco usage at a world scale.

Posted by George Daniels on Sunday May 18 2014, 12:11 PM EST. Ref: USA Today. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0