Morocco ranked among the top three African countries with the highest life expectancy, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Healthy life expectancy in Africa overall increased by an average of 10 years per person between 2000 and 2019.
Over a 19-year period, “healthy” life expectancy increased from 47 to 56 years in Africa, compared to a global average of 64 years.
The increase over the past 20 years is the highest observed in other regions of the world by the WHO, whose Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said is “a testament to the African region’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of its people.”
According to the monitoring of universal health coverage in the WHO African Region, the coverage of essential health services has improved from 24% in 2000 to 46% in 2019.
Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia top the list of countries on the continent with the highest life expectancy, with averages of 76 years for all three countries.
Among the factors behind the improvement of life expectancy on the continent is the improved delivery of essential health services, progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health, and advances in the fight against infectious and viral diseases.
“But progress must continue. If countries do not strengthen measures against the threat of cancer and other non-communicable diseases, health gains could be jeopardized,” said Matshidiso Moeti.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made us realize how important investment in health is to a country’s security. I urge governments to invest in health and tackle the next pathogenic threat head-on,” the WHO Regional Director for Africa pleaded.
In its report, WHO also analyzed differences in health expectancy and health service coverage by country income level and geographic location.
It found that high-income and upper-middle-income countries tend to have better health service coverage and higher healthy life expectancy at birth than low-income countries, with about 10 additional years of healthy life expectancy.
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