GLOBAL HEALTH, TODAY’S CHALLENGES

Over the past 50 years, average life expectancy at birth has increased globally by almost 20 years,
from 46.5 years in 1950–1955 to 65.2 years. In 2002 life expectancy at birth in 2002 ranged from 78
years for women in developed countries to less than 46 years for men in sub-Saharan Africa.The
increases in life expectancy that occurred in the first half of the 20th century in developed countries
were the result of rapid declines in mortality, particularly infant and maternal mortality, and that
caused by infectious diseases in childhood and early adulthood.
Almost 57 million people died in 2002, 10.5 million (or nearly 20%) of whom were children of less
than 5 years of age. Of these child deaths, 98% occurred in developing countries. Over 60% of deaths
in developed countries occur beyond age 70, compared with about 30% in developing countries. A key
point is the comparatively high number of deaths in developing countries at younger adult ages (15–59
years).
approximately 10.5 million children under 5 years of age still die every year in the world, progress has
been made since 1970, when the figure was more than 17 million of the 45 million deaths among
adults aged 15 years and over in 2002, 32 million, or almost three-quarters, were caused by
noncommunicable diseases, which killed almost four times as many people as communicable diseases
and maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions .Continuously declining adult mortality in lowmortality regions, combined with trend reversals in high-mortality areas, have resulted in widening
gaps in adult mortality worldwide . The gap between the lowest and highest regional adult mortality
risk between ages 15 and 60 has now increased to a level of 345 per 1000 in 2002